Breaking Skin
by lezonne
Summary: Warnings inside. Ron's angry about losing his brother. Hermione knows he isn't the only person who lost someone after the war, but that doesn't matter to him. He can't cope with what's happened to his family, and his actions are going to push her further and further away into the last person he ever expects. Dramione
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I haven't written stories in a long time. This is another idea I'm throwing out there to see how people respond and to dip my toes back into the water of writing. This story could be sensitive, so please adhere to the below warnings.

 **Warnings:** Mentions of abuse, physical, emotional and substance. Since I don't know how I want to carry on the story if I continue, the story could take a darker path. Please abide by warnings and do not read if any of the above bother you.

He hated patrols.

If he wasn't still on such bad terms with the new Headmistress then maybe he would be assigned less nights to patrol these bloody empty halls. No one bothered going to the corners of the seventh floor, not at this blasted late hour. He was wasting away time he could be using on half a dozen other things, but maybe that was the point. McGonagall wanted to keep him occupied to keep him out of trouble.

He hated that, too.

The fact that he was even in the running for Head of House blew his mind when he returned to school that fall. After everything that transpired with the war he assumed that his previous good grades would be stripped away and anyone else would be given the position. It wasn't like he was in anyone's good graces after the war. He didn't do a damn thing to help, not in the end.

Maybe it was a challenge, to see how long it took before he gave the position up for one reason or another. He wasn't good at staying focused on what he needed, not when other things drew his attention. He could be tempted by all sorts of things if the pros outweighed the cons. Placing him in the position as Head Boy was a big honor, if he had any reason to feel honored about it. Heads were watched closely by everyone; they were expected to help younger students and set good examples, getting good grades and organizing all sorts of school rubbish for the student body.

Being Head Boy wasn't a luxury, dorm excluded. He was pretty sure this was a punishment; it was the only way people could be assured eyes were on him literally all the time.

It might be a consolation if the Head Girl was someone fun, but he knew from the start that it would be Granger. If someone else sauntered into the dorm that first day, he would've been surprised.

She was surprised to see him though, and although she clearly hated the arrangement she didn't fight it nearly as much as he expected. In fact, only one particular point in the conversation actually gripped his attention.

" _Since when are the dorms co-ed? This is going to inspire students to get good grades for all the wrong reasons. It certainly wasn't like this last year."_

Leave it to Granger to think of things in such a black and white, stiff perspective. No one else in the bloody school complained about it, except maybe her good for nothing friends.

Thankfully, he got to do patrols alone. No one wanted to work with him anyway. If he was lucky he could just skim the halls and get to bed early.

He was so distracted, imaging climbing back into bed when he returned to the dorm, he nearly jumped out of his skin when a cry pierced the silence.

Draco swore, glancing back the way he'd come. He didn't check the alcoves down the hall, didn't see a point. He hadn't gone left at all, deciding there was never anyone up here anyway. The one bloody time he didn't check…

He swore again, starting back towards the sound. He couldn't exactly ignore it, even if his bed was beckoning him. He'd be expelled for sure if he didn't check it out.

Another scream came down the hall, and he slowed his steps at the sound. At first it sounded like someone was scared, but now the tone was different, shifting from scared to angry. It was certainly the same person, but the sudden mood change startled him. The voice, though high and echoing in the halls, was distinctly female.

Rounding the corner he froze altogether.

Draco stared down the hallway, unable to believe the sight before him. It seemed so odd and out of place, he actually rubbed his eyes to see if he was imaging things.

He couldn't quite believe they were arguing, no matter how amusing it might be. They were both heated, cheeks flushed, staring at each other. They didn't even seem to notice he had appeared in the hallway, despite the additional presence of light and his echoing steps.

Draco snapped himself back to the present, crossing his arms tightly as he dimmed his wand and stared at the two. He'd been so surprised by their presence there, he hadn't started listening right away when she started screaming again.

"-it wasn't my fault! It's no one's fault Ronald, and you can't keep taking your anger and pain out on others. I'm so sorry about what happened, but I refuse to be your rebound for pain. I will not be your punching bag."

He took a step back at her words, slipping into the shadows while he was still unnoticed. He should probably break them up, it was his job while on patrol after all. But they weren't younger students; they were his peers, veterans of a war. He'd have to put up a fight to break them apart, and he didn't want to do that yet. He wanted to know what she was going on about.

Weasley's face was redder than hers, matching the ginger pigment in his hair. His hands were balled together, trembling. But his eyes betrayed the fury, heavy fat tears slipping down the bright cheeks. "I told you… I told you I was sorry."

"Sorry doesn't change it Ron," she snapped again, her own eyes shiny too. "I know why you did it before, and I told you I would forgive you, once. Not again Ron. It was a mistake to trust you."

His eyes hardened, and he reached towards her wrist. She managed to dodge the swift movement, swinging her wand arm around to press the wood tight to his chest. Draco arched an eyebrow, monitoring the exchange from the shadows. Weasley was usually faster than that, if for no other reason than Quidditch.

Weasley's eyes flashed, and he clenched his jaw as she spoke again. For the first time, Draco noticed he was without a wand. "I didn't mean it."

"Because you're so _damn_ forgiving now."

"You know it's hard for me Hermione," he snapped, stepping closer again, pressing the wood further into his chest. She didn't flinch, just pressed the wand deeper into his skin.

"You're not the only person who's sad Ron, everyone is. You're the only one dealing with it like this."

His lip twitched, hands clenching tighter. "I told you I was sorry."

"Sorry doesn't change anything Ron. I can't be with you if things are going to be this way, not when you are like this. You need to think about yourself first, not about a relationship. It's obvious that you can't handle it."

Even from a distance, Draco noticed his eyes darkening, and before either of them could react, he snapped out and struck her, seconds before a spell hit him in the chest and sent him tumbling backward. She stumbled, regaining her balance from the blow before he did.

Draco clenched his fists, stepping back into the moonlight of the corridor again. Things had gone far enough. Obviously, the control he thought she had on the situation wasn't there, and he couldn't let things go any farther.

He couldn't risk getting blamed for this after all.

Her head snapped up at that moment, dark brown eyes meeting his from across the corridor. Her eyebrows shot up, hands and shoulders clenching as she realized they had an audience. As he approached she shuffled forward, gesturing for him to slip back into the shadows. He stopped moving several feet away, the urgency in her expression stalling him.

What did he care if she wanted him to stop? It's his stupid freaking job.

Nonetheless, he stepped back into the shadows again, wand in his hand in case things escalated. She had to have her reasons for shooing him back, and he fully intended to ask what they were as soon as Weasley left.

Weasley staggered up, gripping senselessly at the wall as he stood. His eyes were wide and angry, angrier than they were a moment ago. She lifted her wand again, daring him to react. A thin, sliver of a line of blood dripped from his forehead where he cut it in the fall.

But Draco had a hard time focusing on Weasley, not when the red of Granger's cheeks was so distinctly different. He knew to expect a red print blossoming on one cheek, knew it would be there after the slap Weasel delivered before. He just didn't expect there to be a mirror image on her other cheek, bleeding from faint cuts where a ring may have punctured the skin.

 _The first scream_.

He clenched his hands, watching intently. If Weasley reached out again, he wouldn't be allowed to strike her. Draco was familiar with those marks; he'd seen enough before.

"It doesn't change anything 'Mione," he cooed, using an old nickname Draco recalled hearing. Her expression contorted as he spoke. "We're just mad. We'll talk tomorrow, when everything's different."

"Nothing's different Ron," she snapped defensively, "Nothing but you."

He reached up to brush away the line of blood, leaving a thin smear on his head and hand. "You're different Hermione. You know it too. Everyone's different now. He changed everything."

"Yes, he did," she agreed, the resilience in her voice fading. Her wand shook for the first time, the confidence in her stance beginning to waver. "But it doesn't justify anything Ron. Everyone reacted differently. You're the only one lashing out. And I'm not going to be the one for you to take out all your anger on."

"I'm not trying to."

She laughed hollowly, tears pricking at her eyes. "Really? You've done a shit job of proving that Ron. I can't wait around to see how you are going to handle things, not when I can't tell when you're going to lose it. I should've known it was a mistake coming up here, it's just like last time."

"Hermione-"

"Good luck finding your wand," she snapped, tightening her hands on her wand again. "I threw it out the window on purpose. I'm not risking another episode with you."

"I wouldn't-"

"But you did," she whispered, eyes larger than before. "And you almost did again. Don't talk to me Ron, not tomorrow or any other day. I don't want your company, and I certainly don't want you."

He was fuming; Draco could see it from the shadows. His eyes danced between the pair, wondering if now was a good time to announce his presence before Weasley tried something else stupid. He wondered if anyone would believe him when he hauled him down to McGonagall's office. You're supposed to get good marks for dealing with upsets, but would the Headmistress believe him if he brought in a member of the Golden Trio, and tried to convince her the boy was less than saintly?

For the first time Weasley backed off instead of getting in Granger's face again. He was still angry, the glint in his eyes nothing but malice. He backed away from her slowly, eyes burning into hers as he retreated. Draco didn't back into the wall as he passed, wondering if the twit would even look his way. He didn't, not the entire length of the hallway. His eyes remained on the girl in question, until he reached the turn, and only then did he pry his eyes from her form, not bothering with a backward glance.

The moment he was gone, Hermione dropped her stance and slid down the wall behind her, arms and legs shaking. She clenched her hands, head bowed as she attempted to control herself. Draco took that as an opportunity to step from the shadows, watching every little reaction with detached curiosity.

He stopped beside her, glancing towards her face. He couldn't see the marks on her cheeks now, not with her hair hanging over them. He crossed his arms uncomfortably, wondering what the hell he was supposed to say to her. As long as she didn't cry, he figured he could at least handle it.

Clearing his throat, he tried to say something snarky about Weasley, but the words died in his mouth. He didn't have the desire to pick on the boy right now, not after that. He wondered if he should've just punched him as he stalked passed instead of letting him go, and he could've worried about the mess later.

Maybe he should try something reassuring.

Instead, he opened his mouth and a question tumbled out, not at all withheld or sensitive to her feelings. "What the hell was that?"

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. If you like it, let me know and I'll hopefully be able to make it into something grand. I appreciate all the feedback.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: Warnings of mentioned abuse.**

"Granger?"

She wasn't speaking to him, not anymore. He expected her to at least have something to say after Weasley left, but she remained silent, head bowed against her knees. He kept his distance from her in the silence, watching for the reaction that was bound to come.

He found his eyes skimming her, curiosity picking at his brain as he took her in. She didn't appear any different, not that he'd paid a lot of attention to her these past two weeks. She still had the bushy hair; even age couldn't tame that unruly mass. She wore a long sleeve, which might have been peculiar if it wasn't cool in the corridors at night. Her trouser's were so very muggle he could barely keep his eyes on them for more than a moment.

 _Denims_. How typical of her.

Outwardly she didn't appear different, except of the prints on her face that were rapidly fading. He frowned, wondering if there would be leftover bruises the following morning. He couldn't imagine how hard the twit actually hit her. Glancing around the corridor, he wondered if Weasley would pop out again. He'd find some sort of satisfaction if he got to stun the blood traitor.

They couldn't stay there in the hallway, no matter how stubborn she was. He should be done with patrols by now and sleeping. If anyone happened by them, or the pictures in the adjacent hallway caught them in the dead of night… he didn't have much of a desire to find out the repercussions.

Stepping forward he jarred her with the toe of his shoe, ignoring the venomous look she shot him when her head snapped up. He was surprised to see the tear streaks in the dim light of his wand. He hadn't realized she was crying in the silence.

"We need to go," he said, glancing the length of the hall again. "We can't just sit out here until the sun rises. People might get the wrong impression."

"No one's coming," she snapped, her voice sharper than he expected. Her tone was clipped, venomous. Why did she feel the need to take out her anger on him? "You just don't want to miss out on anymore sleep. Go back to the dorm if you want. I don't care."

Scoffing, Draco shook his head, crossing his arms tight over his chest. "If I cared so bloody much about sleep I wouldn't have bothered staying and watching."

"Yes you would," she retaliated, getting up off the floor. She tugged at the sleeves of her shirt, covering her wrists and hands with the long fabric. Dainty fingers brushed at her cheeks, trying to remove the lines of tears. "You'd lurk in the shadows all night if you could get some dirt on Ron and me. So have at it then. Where's the taunting?"

He rolled his eyes, grabbing her wrist as she stood there against the wall, completely unfazed with moving. She clenched at the movement, but he didn't pay all that much attention. "It's much too late for that Granger," he spat, turning from her. "Come morning though, I can't guarantee anything."

Even if his voice lacked its usual malice, he wasn't sure she would catch the sarcasm. Moving to drag her back towards the dorm, he immediately let go when she whimpered in pain, dropping her wrist again to stare at the girl beside him.

She retracted her arm, cradling it near her body as she rubbed the skin. His eyebrows drew together as she dropped her gaze, rubbing over the fabric of her shirt. He watched her a moment, the meticulous way she massaged the sores from her skin, like she'd done it before.

He scowled. "You know Granger; I never pegged you for a damsel in distress."

"I'm _not_ a damsel."

"You are distressed," he grunted, stepping away from her. He wouldn't ask about the wrist. He didn't care. If she didn't feel like indulging him, then why bother asking? "And you're going to be alone and distressed if you don't hurry up. I'm not wasting any more time up here."

His voice was gruffer than he meant it to be. It's not like he was mad at her, he just didn't know what he thought of the situation. Imaging Weasley as the abusive type was far too much to wrap his brain around. He couldn't handle the rest.

Draco was several steps ahead of her before he heard footsteps following him, her grumbling voice echoing quietly in the corridors as she caught up. He didn't expect her to follow along, not so quickly. Draco glanced over his shoulders briefly, scowling at her as they walked. She was looking at the floor instead of him, but that wasn't as much of a surprise as he expected. He picked his brain, trying to recall a time when he'd seen her look quite so downtrodden. War memories aside, he couldn't pinpoint one.

And to think it all had to do with Weasel.

They walked quickly back to their dorm room, Granger refusing to walk by his side the entire way. At the door to their room, hidden behind an alcove, he bothered to glance at her again as he muttered the password, their door swinging open. In the light of the common room he saw new streaks of tears on her cheeks.

The moment the door opened she moved to brush past him, attempting to shoulder him out of the way in an effort to get to her bedroom. Obviously she didn't want to talk about what he had witnessed. Draco stepped in the way, successfully blocking her path three times before she hissed in frustration.

She jerked back when he reached for her wrist again, eyes boring into his. "Malfoy, leave me alone."

Draco arched an eyebrow, staring directly at her as he tugged her wrist forward and pulled up the sleeve of her shirt before she could react again, exposing the flesh there. She pushed against him, attempting to pull her arm free. It took him a moment to twist her arm into a position she could not escape before he even got a chance to look it over.

He could see the purple, bruised skin there at her wrist, the image surprising him more than it should. The bruises on her cheeks were one thing, violence in the heat of the moment when Weasley lost all respect for her. The bruise circling her wrist was another, a hint that he'd held on too tight before.

"You really should take better care of yourself Granger," he remarked, stuffing his hands down into his pockets, releasing her protesting grip. He wouldn't look at it again. He was prying into her life, and prying led to involvement. That was the last thing he wanted. "Keep better company."

Hermione scowled, stepping back from him as she pulled the sleeve of her shirt down again. Her eyes were steely, even if her welling tears diminished the determined look. She straightened her posture, despite the obvious slack in her shoulders and the tiredness in her eyes. Leveling her gaze with his, she cleared her throat before speaking. "Don't pretend to care Malfoy, I know better than that. Just do me a favor and butt out."

 _Defiant as ever._

He arched an eyebrow as she slipped past him, successfully reaching her bedroom door. She didn't glance back once, not even to acknowledge his lingering gaze. She was through the door long before he said anything, his eyes never leaving her back. Once she was gone, he sighed.

Involvement. That's the absolute last thing he wanted with her.

Why did it have to be his night to patrol? Why did they have to be up there when he was bound to find them? Anyone else could've found them, and anyone else would do the right thing and report it. But he couldn't convince himself to march into the Headmistresses office yet and tell her what he witnessed. Why would she believe him anyway?

Draco sank into the sofa, running his hands over his face. He didn't care about it, he really didn't. They'd all seen worse things. Granger was perfectly capable. She could handle herself.

* * *

"You do realize that doesn't cover it," he grunted, spitting into the sink the following morning. He tossed his toothbrush back into the holder, leaning against the counter as he stared at her. "You're doing it wrong."

He hadn't expected to see her that morning. Granger was an early bird, as annoying as that was. She rose with the sun pretty much every morning and was gone long before he woke up. Today however, she seemed to be having a hard time getting out early, what with the previous night's events and all. She happened into the bathroom while he was brushing his teeth, and she couldn't exactly retreat once he'd seen her. She held her head high instead and focused on her reflection in the mirror.

"Oh please Malfoy, I don't need a lecture from you on how to use _magic_."

"Then why can I still see it?" he asked, inclining his head to her right cheek. Two small cuts remained there from the previous night, shadowed by a purpling bruise. Her attempts so far hadn't even come close to covering the shallow cuts. And this was supposed to be the brightest witch of their age?

Never mind the fact she'd only attempted one spell. One should be more than enough to cover an easy blemish like that, cuts and all.

"Maybe if you weren't staring at me every second, I'd actually have time to place a concealing spell on it," she snapped, continuing to stare at her reflection in the mirror. Waving her wand, the bruises disappeared easily, but the small cuts remained. She hadn't bothered to focus her gaze on him since stepping towards the mirror.

Scoffing, Draco fixed her with a cold stare. "Just like your wrist, right? You'll need to conceal the bruise there too, won't you?"

Hermione scowled, fully turning her attention to him. She looked worse for wear that morning, with bags beneath her eyes and the cuts on her cheek a blatant reminder of the night before. He glanced at her wrist, the shirt worn long again to hide the skin there. Maybe Weasley left more than the obvious marks, how would he know? Maybe she had more to cover than he knew.

"Figure that out by yourself, did you Malfoy?" she asked, sighing as her gaze flickered back to the mirror. Her jaw was set firm, an act of defiance against the bruises she'd received. Weasley might have raised a hand to her, but she wasn't broken, not by any means.

Draco took advantage of the situation while she was distracted. He stepped closer to the witch, grabbing the sleeve of her shirt so he could pull it up, revealing the bruise he knew would be there again. He'd seen her flinch last night and again this morning when he touched the skin there; he knew it was a look of pain. Now he took the time to study it for more than a second, taking in the dark color against her complexion.

The bruise wasn't quite as expected. He thought there might be a ring of purple circling the skin there, but it was larger than that. The skin reflected another handprint, placed there by gripping too hard. Little stems of the bruise broke away from the largest spot, telltale signs of fingers.

He arched an eyebrow. "Looks like he grips mighty hard."

Hermione pulled her arm back, glaring up at him as she did. She didn't bother with a reply, instead waving her wand over the skin, watching the blemish disappear. She repeated the action on her cheek again, successfully removing any signs of abuse.

"Now no one can even tell," she said, her voice nearly a whisper. He got the feeling she wasn't speaking to him, but herself.

"Except your friends of course," he pestered, interrupting her thoughts. This time she wasn't so guarded, the surprise and worry blossoming in her eyes. He crossed his arms, waiting for a response. He'd been wondering since last night if the goody two shoes told anyone else what was going on.

"They can't tell," she replied steadily, holding his gaze, "because they don't know."

"How could they possibly not know?" he asked, eyebrows shooting up. "You're all attached every moment of the day. How can they possibly not notice, Potter especially?"

Hermione pursed her lips, studying the blond in front of her. He was taller now, taller than his gangly self during their previous year of school and the war. He hair was still short, the exact opposite of Lucius. Grey eyes watched her steadily, daring her to lie.

"They don't know because I haven't told them, and you won't be telling them either. Like I said, it's only happened once before, and it won't happen again." She lifted her chin, eyes staring right back into his.

"You're so sure?" he pestered again, eyes dancing over her face. "People don't just change their habits because someone tells them to. And it looks like he's making a habit of beating you."

"He's not," Hermione stressed, hands gripping tight to the counter. "Trust me, he's only like this sometimes. And if I have my way, he's going to be like this even less."

Draco scoffed, pushing from the counter to head back to his room. "If you believe he's going to change just because you want him to Granger, then you've got another thing coming."

* * *

He thought he was doing pretty well. All this leverage over Granger and he hadn't told a soul yet. He had plenty of opportunities to, but the words wouldn't slip from his mouth. As far as he was concerned this little bit of information was blackmail, something he could use to his advantage. Granger wasn't stupid; she had to realize it was dangerous for someone else to know what was going on. She just didn't want to admit to it yet.

For the time being he was satisfied with just monitoring the situation. He couldn't quite figure out what made Weasley, temperamental lunatic that he was, aggressive enough to beat up the girl he spent seven years defending. It seemed a bit backwards, the way things played out. He may not like the ginger, but he was aware how much Weasley liked her.

Or so he thought. Apparently it was all a sham, and up until now he was gullible like everyone else. If the first incident happened before their return to school, maybe there was nothing for him to notice at the beginning of term. But now, even watching the trio two rows in front of him, it was hard to pinpoint what made him abusive.

He'd been watching them all period. They really were odd. Granger and Weasley split a desk, his hand tightly holding hers the entire time. To anyone else, it probably looked like puppy love. But he could see the way Weasley's nails dug into the flesh of her hand. It looked anything but sweet.

Thankfully their first lesson was History of Magic, so he could completely ignore the lesson. Whoever thought they needed this rubbish was out of their mind. He sat next to Blaise every day for this lesson, which meant he didn't have to talk to the bloke either. He was far too busy exchanging not so secret looks with Pansy.

He kept wondering why Granger didn't just pull her hand out of his grip. They were in class; he couldn't do anything about it. Across the walkway, Potter couldn't be more useless. Whoever decided merging the seventh and eighth year students was an idiot. Class numbers were twice as large and it didn't exactly help people mingle. He was way too focused on his girlfriend anyway to pay attention to his two brooding friends.

But Draco noticed, even the subtle body language. She was leaned away in her chair, as far as possible from him in then desk. They weren't cuddling, not like the lovebirds across the way. How Potter could turn such a blind eye to his friends was beyond him.

By the time the bell rang their posture still hadn't changed.

"-and then she actually got mad at me for it!" Blaise explained, following Draco from the classroom. He'd been explaining a story, likely something about the latest girl he bedded, but Draco was so focused on watching the couple in front of him he was hardly listening.

"Mhmm."

"And then…"

They surpassed the trio without much effort, the Weasley girl having departed after class. There were a jumble of students in front of him now, and he caught snippets of their conversation.

"Give it to me Ron," she hissed, leaning in close to the ginger. If he wasn't pressed so close due to the crowd he wouldn't have heard. "You promised to quit."

"I did quit," he grunted.

Hermione shook her head, and Draco snuck a sideways glance at them. Potter seemed distracted by something, and he wasn't paying much attention.

"You don't remember last night, do you?" she asked quietly, the crowd beginning to thin out.

Weasley frowned, and Draco barely caught the expression as they surged forward into open space. "What happened last night?"

There was a pause, and he barely heard her response as he followed Blaise through the throng of people. "Nothing."

 **A/N: Thanks everyone for reviewing last chapter. I'm going to try to update once a week, and hopefully I can let you know the week before if it's going to be longer. Since I haven't written in a long time, I've written several chapter and I keep editing them as time goes on. So there shouldn't really be a gap in time when updates happen.**

 **If you like the direction of the story, let me know. I'm still not sure how dark I want it to go.**

 **Please Note: If you have questions regarding updates of old stories, missing stories, beta-ing, translating, requests, ect please see my author's page as I've written something regarding each because I've received a lot of PM's. Please read there before messaging me, it might answer your questions. Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Warnings: Substance abuse.**

A week passed, and Malfoy laid off.

She was surprised. Given their history she expected him to linger until he got something good on her, and then he would exploit it. Or he would at least use the information he'd gathered as leverage over her. Malfoy's aren't nice. They bend situations to their advantage.

Yet he hadn't said anything about it to her in a week now. She saw his glances in the common room they shared, as though he expected to see the signs of abuse again. But Ron hadn't done anything in a week. He was distracted, and she was using that time to trick him with placebos. Maybe he'd get the same high if he believed he was taking his drugs.

Foolish hopes of course. She already knew the placebo's wouldn't last, they were only a temporary fix. She needed a permanent solution, one that wouldn't shatter his family further if they found out his addiction. They had enough stresses; she didn't think it wise to add to them.

Ginny sat opposite her in the Gryffindor common room. She preferred to escape here during the day, spending time with her friends instead of staring at books in her room, hiding from Malfoy. She loved to read, but the subject matter was slowly tearing her apart.

Currently, she was attempting to distract herself with a book. Ginny was staring at her homework, looking on at the blank page without lifting her quill. She'd been this way for nearly ten minutes now, constantly adjusting her posture but doing nothing.

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. "Are you even going to attempt the work?"

Ginny blinked, turning her eyes up to look at Hermione for the first time in almost half an hour. Even though they shared this corner of the room, she hadn't been paying much attention. "Pardon?"

"The homework? The piece of parchment you've been staring blankly at?"

"Oh." Ginny shook her head, attempting to bring a smile to her face. The expression didn't reach her eyes. "I was thinking about George again."

Inwardly, she cringed. George was a sensitive topic among the Weasley's, especially these last months. He still joked, still tried to keep the mood light even when his heart wasn't. George, who should be suffering the most out of the Weasley's, seemed to work the hardest to keep everyone's spirits up. But it wasn't working, not really. They were all downtrodden, missing such a large part of their family.

Attempting a smile, she reached across and squeezed Ginny's hand. "I think about him too."

"Ron mentioned him," she continued, causing the hair on Hermione's neck to stand on end. "Seamus told a joke. It really wasn't funny. But Ron… he said Fred and George would have made the whole common room laugh." She frowned. "It wasn't funny either."

She nodded along, listening to her friend. Some days it was as though Fred never died, the light in the Weasley's eyes still shining bright as ever. The days were good, full of laughter and antics. Other days, it was as though he died yesterday. She never knew what kind of reactions to expect from them.

From the corner of her eye she caught Harry wandering through the common room towards them, Ginny completely oblivious when she looked down again. Excusing herself quietly she picked up her book and met Harry halfway across the room, gently pulling him towards the door instead of in the direction of his girlfriend,

"What is it?" he asked as she pulled him out the portrait. Harry's eyes were dark and heavy, burdened with the knowledge of all the lives lost that summer. The Weasley's lost one of their own, but for Harry, he lost almost everyone. Over the past months she'd seen him draw into himself, putting up a wall no one could shake. Ginny seemed to only notice it sometimes, lost in her own troubles. Harry was good at hiding his pain from her, and even better at avoiding the topic. He helped her a little bit, day by day, to get over her own remorse. But Ginny hadn't been able to help Harry at all. Hermione wondered if anyone could.

"You should go out with Ginny tonight," she said, avoiding his gaze. "She needs a distraction. I know Hogsmeade isn't this weekend, but anything would do you some good. Both of you."

"Hermione-"

"Don't you even argue with me Harry," she snapped, crossing her arms, the book she brought with pressed into her side. "I know those bags under your eyes – you aren't sleeping. You need to go out and have some fun, something you never seem to do anymore. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Maybe you could go and practice some Quidditch together, you used to love that. But Ginny's in a mood. And it'll do both of you some good to have some fun."

"What about you?" he asked, crossing his arms definitely. "Are you going to try talking to Ron again? A lot of good that's done."

She scowled. Harry knew there was something wrong with Ron; he just didn't know the extent. Unlike Ginny he didn't seem to turn a blind eye whenever it was obvious someone was grieving. Ginny could hardly manage her own pain, and trying to synthesize with her brothers and parents just made the girl miss Fred more. Hermione suspected it was more than just a hole in her chest that had Ginny so down, but she wouldn't dare say that. Lately, Ginny was defensive whenever the topic was brought up.

"Ron's… Ron's got his own way of dealing," she grumbled, absentmindedly rubbing her cheek where he'd struck her over a week ago. "Everyone's grieving for someone these days; some just handle it better than others."

 _Most aren't out taking drugs._

Harry shook his head, ignoring the way she rubbed at her cheek. He had so many things to think about himself, he probably didn't notice the action. "Ron hasn't been himself. Most of us have changed but Ron… Ron's slipping."

Hermione bit her lip, following Harry down the hall. They weren't far from the common room, but far enough that no one was going to disturb them. She chuckled quietly to herself, finding the irony in the situation. Last week she took this path with Ron up to the seventh floor and he'd lost his temper, high off his addiction. Today she was stopping in the hall with Harry, talking about their friend as though he hadn't completely changed.

"Everyone deals with their pain differently Harry."

Shaking his head, he met her eyes, blue irises seeming to dig into her soul. "No… something's off with Ron. Earlier in the dorm he practically tore the room apart looking for something. He wouldn't explain what either. You ever had your stuff looted through Hermione?"

She wanted to point out that Harry, out of everyone, had the most experience with people looking through his things. But his mind was off somewhere else, focusing on the dozen other thoughts swirling in his head.

"I wonder what he was looking for," she muttered, though she knew the answer. Harry didn't, but she knew exactly what would make Ron tear through a room, "What was so important."

Harry shrugged, lifting just one shoulder as he glanced down the corridors. They were mostly empty, students milling around before lunch. They were all younger years, all able to avoid most of the pain war caused. Their faces weren't burdened with loss and misery.

"I'm worried about him," Harry continued, running a hand through his unruly hair. "He's so distant lately, more distant than even Ginny. I tried speaking with Molly earlier, and she's just was withdrawn as everyone else. They're all better than they were last month, but not enough."

"You're no better than you were last month," Hermione pointed out, lifting her chin to meet his eyes. "If anything, you're worse. You're not even giving yourself enough time to heal. You're worried about everyone else."

Narrowing his eyes, he leaned against the wall and stared at her. "What about you? You haven't gotten better either. When you aren't worried about Ron you're trying to use scrying to find your parents in Australia."

Eyes widening, she took a step back from her friend. "How did you know that?"

"Because I saw the divination book in your bag yesterday. I can't believe you're actually looking into it. I thought you said all of that was rubbish?"

"It _is_ rubbish," she stressed, eyebrows drawing together. "But my mobile doesn't work here. I can't call investigators here and owling them is too weird. I can't go to Hogsmeade every day and hope it works instead. It's the best thing I can do while here. Maybe I can go there during break or something. But for now it's one of the few ways I do have to look for my parents."

Harry held up his hands, realizing he'd hit a sore note. "I didn't mean anything by it, I was just wondering. It's good that you haven't given up on them."

"Yeah," she whispered, thinking of all her unsuccessful attempts. It wouldn't do any good to worry about them now, not when there was so little she could do. "I'll go see Ron if you talk to Ginny. And I do mean _talk_. You're not even letting her in anymore."

"She doesn't let _me_ in!"

"Then you both have something you can work on," Hermione replied, smiling when he scowled. "It's good to talk about your feelings to someone else Harry. It relieves the stress inside."

"And stresses someone else out."

She hit him lightly in the arm and he smiled good-naturally. She couldn't mention that Ron's own dilemmas were weighing her down, suffocating her beneath worry and hate. She couldn't mention that his best friend was spiraling out of control, and there was almost nothing she could do to stop him. So she smiled wider when Harry hugged her, and basked in the moment of normalcy.

"I'm sure Ron will let you in," Harry continues, hand resting lightly on her back to guide her back towards the common room. "He's just having a hard time."

"Everyone's having a hard time Harry." She glanced up at him as they rounded the corner, daring him to argue. He pressed his lips into a thin line, avoiding her gaze.

He couldn't deny it.

They walked silently back to the common room, and she bid him goodbye at the portrait. She couldn't go back in there, not with Ron. She knew he was upstairs since she hadn't seen him come down the entire time she sat in the common room. He was probably well and high, happy with everything in his life. Her placebos were out. He would be using the real thing again, and she hadn't gotten to take his newest stash yet.

Trudging back to her dorm, she contemplated every problem in front of her, from Ron to her parents to Malfoy's pesky self knowing more than anyone. He was an outlier she couldn't control, and that worried her. She couldn't exactly predict what he would do.

Slipping into the common room was easy. He either wasn't in or was in his room, and she didn't care enough to look around and find out. She made a bee-line for her room, shutting the door as soon as she was in, the locks clicking into place. Discarding her bag she stepped towards the cabinet in the far corner, opening the locked doors with the key she kept by her door.

Opening the doors, she stared inside at her projects. So many hours spent on someone ungrateful, and she was no closer to the conclusion than she was ten weeks ago when everything started tumbling downhill. Reaching in she took out the books she kept hidden, setting them around her floor to make room for the vials within. Those she pulled free and placed in front of her, leveling her eyes with the liquids on the nearby table.

Placebos. Her copout when Ron refused to quit. They were enough to keep him in check if he was already high, but not enough when he was sober. He knew she was up to something, something with his potions, but he couldn't yet determine what.

It made her safer that he couldn't tell. He'd hurt her twice now for trying to help. Maybe she should damn it all and pour her attempts out the window, and let him suffer at the hands of his family. It might break the Weasley's again, but Ron could go to rehab and be cured.

The papers would shame him. She might not care about the media, but it was a big deal to Ron. He was already trying to place blame, and he would definitely blame her.

Maybe she should let him blame her, and throw out their relationship, friendship and everyone else. He'd be better, and she wouldn't watch him slowly destroy himself. But it would destroy everyone else, and prove that she couldn't save him.

And she needed to save someone. If not her friends or parents, then she could at least save Ron. They didn't call her the brightest witch of their age for nothing.

A sharp knock came at her door, and internally she groaned. She finally gets up the gumption to do something about the current problem, and she's interrupted. It's no mystery as to who either. No loud, snappy conversation in the common room, no friends entering and trying to bypass Malfoy.

Shuffling to the door, she opened it just wide enough to see the git on the other side. He was leaning against the doorframe, looking annoyingly bored.

"I need you to take my patrols tonight."

She thought about scoffing. The git wiggled his way out of patrols for the past three days. "I'm not doing that Malfoy. You were supposed to work these past two days, and you even gave away a night that you traded. No way. You do it."

Draco caught the doorframe in his hand, scowling at her while she attempted to push it shut. "I have things to do tonight Granger. You've only done one patrol so far this week. Take it."

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. "As if everyone else doesn't have something to do? I'm busy; it's not my night to worry."

"Take it," he said again, arching an eyebrow. "Keeps you away from Weasley doesn't it? Unless he tries to follow you up again?"

Hermione paused, eyes widening in surprise. He hadn't bothered to bring up anything about Ron for the past week. Now he dared to stand there and throw his name around like it's a threat? He had no right to put in cruel remarks like that, not when she was doing so well at avoiding him. She should've known he'd stoop low and bring that up again, it was only a matter of time.

"Ron doesn't come with me on patrols," Hermione snapped, eyes wide and vivid. "Leave him out of this. You're not going to convince me to take your blasted patrols tonight, not if you're being rude. Besides, what could you possibly have to do."

Draco's scowl deepened, and he pushed the door wide open when he spoke next. "Despite common belief Granger, I do have a social life. All you bloody Gryffindors seem to think I'm incapable of having fun."

She frowned. As far as she knew, everyone thought Malfoy had _too_ much fun. She opened her mouth to reply, but never got a chance. He was pushing past her into the room, despite her protests. Only as she turned did she remember the items on her floor, and she slowly lost all her color.

"What exactly are you making?" he asked, plucking one of the small containers from its holder. He swished the contents, and she immediately snatched it back, glaring at him.

"It doesn't matter to you," Hermione snapped, carefully setting it back in the container. She turned around, ready to push him out, to see him holding a second vial, reading the container. One eyebrow arched up, and she lunged forward to take it back, grasping the glass above his hand. "Give that back!"

Her eyes moved up to meet his, brown orbs meeting his grey. The look was steely, surprising. She didn't expect to see so much resentment in his gaze.

"I didn't know you took drugs Granger," Draco snapped tersely, releasing his hold on the vial. She stumbled back, hand still gripping the container in her hand. She looked up, meeting his eyes head on again.

"They aren't mine," she grumbled, staring across the space between them. "They're Ron's."


	4. Chapter 4

**Warnings:** Physical abuse, substance abuse. The usual.

Draco sneered at her, apparently not believing her outburst. " _Weasley's?_ "

"Yes," she admitted, letting the realization that she'd actually told someone the truth sink in. She'd kept Ron's secret for ages now, keeping the shame from his family. She assumed it was a burden she would carry forever. "I've been trying to hide them," she continued more quietly.

"With placebos?" he snapped, his biting tone cutting through the stillness of the room. "If you bother to take the fucking things from him you might as well trash them." He narrowed his eyes, one pale eyebrow lifting, "Unless of course you've been taking them on the side."

Hermione's eyes widened and she rested the urge to throw something at him. "I would _never-_ "

"I'm sure Weasley says the same thing," he interrupted, shaking his head. "You've got a cabinet full of Willow's Weep."

She cringed, glancing towards the cabinet again. A part of her hoped he wouldn't notice the contents. Wizards kept the bottles of liquid, using magic whenever they needed to get high to inject it directly into the blood stream. Dark magic was used, or at least Hermione assumed. She'd never seen the process in person, only read about it in her research to understand. Highly addictive, it made wizards extremely hostile and unpleasant, and usually placed them in such a high euphoric state for the duration of the drug that they couldn't remember much thereafter. Hermione summarized it was closest to the muggle version of meth, and she knew more than enough about that from drug classes at school.

"Malfoy-"

"I guess I didn't realize you could slip so far," he continued, relaxing back against the wall. His eyes seemed to cut through her, daring her to reveal the secrets beneath her skin. "The fact that you're even tolerating him is insane. He could actually kill you on that shit."

"He's not going to kill me," she huffed, straightening as best she could. Malfoy's eyes seemed to pin her to the wall, sucking out all the secrets she wanted so badly to keep buried. "He's in too far, but I know you can break addiction if you work at it. It takes a lot of work-"

"Or people in a white room-"

"-but it _can_ be done," she stressed, clenching her hands at her sides. "And I'm not taking it Malfoy. I could never do that. I'm just using Ron's supply to break down the composition of the drug and counteract it. There must be an antidote somewhere, just no one's bothered to look for it this way."

"Plenty of people have tried to look for it this way," he sneered, eyes narrowing at her. "Obviously it hasn't worked and no one's found a solution. You're barking up the wrong tree." He shook his head, disgust evident in his features. "No wonder he's beating you. He doesn't want you to fix his problem."

"Yes he does-"

"If he's still taking the fucking things then he doesn't!" Draco snapped, losing his patience. He crossed the short distance between them, getting in her face. "And if you get in the way of the one thing controlling his life, you're going to have more than bruises."

She held his gaze a moment, staring up and his towering form. She didn't often – if ever – stand so close to Malfoy, and only now did she note the difference in height between them so clearly. He had the advantage here physically, and if her wand were separated from her she might be nervous.

"Ron won't hurt me again," she said, her voice much quieter than before. "He promised."

"And you're an idiot for believing him. People on drugs will promise anything to get what they want." He leaned forward, flicking his finger over her cheek where the cuts used to rest. She flinched under his touch, and he dropped his hand immediately and stepped back, something darkening in his eyes as he looked away. "He's not going to get better until you fess up and let someone else handle it. And you're going to get hurt in the process if you aren't careful."

"Why do you care anyway," she breathed, "whether or not Ron hurts me?"

He scowled, stepping around her towards the door. "You're going to get plowed over Granger unless you tell someone the truth and let them handle it. You might be smart, but you aren't trained to handle an addiction. And if you keep pretending like you are he's going to choose the drug over you, and then you'll really have a problem."

He shoved past her, disappearing back into the common room. She stayed pressed against the wall, her hand gripping so tightly at the wand that her knuckles turned white. She took a shuddering breath, fighting off any truth in Malfoy's words. It didn't matter what he said, he wasn't handling it. She was. Ron could be saved without crushing his family, and she knew she could do it. She just needed more time.

Glancing out into the common room, she ignored the emptiness without his presence. She was handling potions, something he excelled at. But she couldn't ask anyone for help; she had to do this herself. The less people involved meant that less people could find out.

Problem was Malfoy already knew too much. And the more he found out the more leverage he had over her head. She was pretty sure he wouldn't tell anyone, not yet. Anyone with power inside the school would call him a liar, and if he blabbed to his friends there was really nothing she could do about it. But if her friends found out all her hard work would be for naught and things would collapse. That was the only big thing she had to worry about, at least from him.

Staggering towards the bed she let herself fall, hoping the covers would give her some sort of comfort. Maybe the answer would come to her in the night.

* * *

Hermione woke to the sound of pounding on hard wood. She cracked an eye open, staring directly at her closed door. The sound was muffled, distant, and she realized it could only be coming from the common room.

Which meant someone was trying to come in, and Malfoy was ignoring it. She glanced at her clock, groaning when she realized it was well past ten. Thank Merlin it was Saturday or she'd have a problem.

She dragged herself from the bed, forcing herself into the common room and the bright lights, attempting halfheartedly to straighten her unruly hair. Glancing sideways she noted Malfoy's door was firmly shut, and wondered if he'd already disappeared for the day. That was weird, considering she almost always beat him in the morning.

Pushing the door open she blinked in the light of the corridor, eyes blearily focusing on Harry in the doorway. He was grinning, Ginny at his side, Neville and Luna off in the background. Ron stood a few feet further, watching with guarded eyes.

"Oversleep?" Ginny asked, her eyes more alert than before. She looked better than the last time they'd spoke, her voice stronger and not so sad. It was good to see, but it made Hermione wonder what the difference was.

"Hmm?" she grumbled, trying to remember what she was obviously forgetting. They were all dressed, eagerly looking at her. Apparently there was something she should remember.

"We're off to Hogsmeade," Harry said, obviously picking up on the confusion in her eyes. "We planned it earlier this week, remember?"

"Right, right," she mumbled, glancing around at them again. Neville and Luna were in their own world, oblivious to anything around them. Ron was watching her closely, his eyes seeming to take in every detail about her in. "Give me a few minutes, I'll get ready. I must've overslept."

"I'll wait with you," Ron spoke up, stepping closer to the door. Ginny smiled slightly at her brother's reaction, seeming to find the notion more endearing than it was. Hermione didn't think it was quite so sweet. He wasn't himself, not since he practically caused her palm to bleed last week from holding her hand.

"We'll meet you there then," Harry said with a smile before she could protest. Luna moved forward and looped an arm through Ginny's, dragging the other girl down the hall.

"See you Hermione," Neville called, sauntering off with Harry. Nothing was amiss in their minds. Ron was trying to be a good boyfriend and wait for her, and that was what they expected. Nothing was wrong- except she was alone with him and couldn't predict his actions.

She kept the door tight in her grip as Ron approached, smiling sweetly as he loomed over her. "Wait out here. I'll be just a minute."

He grasped the doorframe, bending down to get into her face. "I'd rather come in."

Ron jarred the door, forcefully pushing the wood back, shoving her body with it. He stepped into the room, rifling through a few things on the table, searching with his eyes.

"Where are they?"

"Where are what?" she asked, coming up behind him. Her eyes darted to her bedroom door, where her wand still sat. She couldn't hide the cabinet without a spell, and trying wandless magic would take too much focus at the moment. Maybe if she distracted him he'd focus less on what he was obviously searching for.

He whirled on her, causing the papers and books to fly from the wood. His eyes were wide and angry, the vein near the top of his head jutting out. "My bottles. You hid them."

"I didn't do anything."

He pressed forward, stopping a few paces from her uncertainly, still glancing around the room. "Yes you did. You were supposed to get me more."

"I wasn't going to do that Ron, you know it. I wouldn't even know where to buy Willow's Weep."

Scowling, he ran a hand over his face, dragging the stringy locks of ginger hair forward. "We have to go to town then. We need to buy some more."

"Ron," she started, stepping carefully towards the man, "we can't buy that in Hogsmeade, and anyway, you've used up the money you have on hand anyway-"

He snapped forward, grasping her shoulders tightly between his hands. His pupils dilated, seeming to look through her instead of at her. "You promised," he growled, shaking her. "You promised you would help."

"I _am_ helping-"

"No you aren't!" he snapped, shaking her again. His fingers dug into the soft skin of her upper arms, nails digging down into her skin painfully, freckling it in red dots. "I need to get some more-"

"You need to stop!" she insisted, wiggling in his grip. "Your parents are going to wonder what you're doing if you suddenly drain all your accounts-"

"That's why you'll help me," he insisted, lowering his head until they looked each other in the eyes, "just a loan Hermione, one little loan to sate me until I can withdraw money again?"

"That's not going to help you quit," she argued, glaring into his eyes. "You promised you'd stop last week-"

His eyes widened and he shoved her back, throwing her back into the wall. She gasped at the impact, staggering a moment to regain her balance. "I will quit! Just not yet. Once more, and I'll be good. I promised I'd stop, so I will."

She reached up, gently running her hands over the sore skin of her forearms. Her hands came away red, flecked in red dots of blood. Her expression tightened, and she stood up straighter, steeling her voice. "You're not going to quit if you go out and get more. We can't buy it at Hogsmeade anyway. Besides, if you keep delaying then our friends are going to wonder where we are. It shouldn't take me long to change and freshen up. They'll come back to check on us."

Ron waved a hand, undeterred. "Harry trusts me. And you can buy anything _anywhere_ 'Mione, you just have to know where to look."

She frowned at his words, stepping slowly closer to her bedroom. They needed to leave before anything else happened, before he started trying anything else. She needed to cover the small crescents on her arms. "I'm going to go change," she said again, slower, "And then we can go."

"And we'll make a stop," he stressed, eyeing her. "Just pay once Hermione. I can take care of everything else."

Shivering, she stepped past him to her bedroom. She didn't like his tone, how his eyes were getting larger and angrier the longer they talked. He was a ticking time bomb and she could only press so many buttons before he snapped. She knew now how he worked, how he was slipping slowly. Maybe last week he was better, but the longer he stayed attached the worse things got.

Her conversation with Malfoy last night drifted into her head, but she shook the words away. The last thing she needed to think about was him right now.

Entering the room she moved to shut the door, only to find Ron there, eyeing her through half-lidded eyes.

"You don't need to shut me out," he muttered, reaching out to stroke her cheek. She recoiled, keeping her hands pressed to the door. Her wand was back on her bedside table behind her.

"I need to change Ron."

"You can change with me," he replied, grinning. She didn't want to do that, didn't really want him to go anywhere near her. But if she infuriated him at all he'd only get more unmanageable, and if she let go of the door she'd have her wand and all the protection she needed.

"Just don't bother me."

She spun from the door, snatching up her wand as she stalked across the room to her wardrobe. She could feel Ron's eyes on her, following her around the room as she grabbed her things. It'd be easy to hex him and demand that he leave the room, but she didn't see any reason to anger him further. He seemed to be out of placebos, or he was taking more than he should because the affects were no longer working. Either way, she really couldn't afford to pry right now.

Smiling sweetly at Ron, she slipped into the bathroom before he could protest and locked the door. At least she'd have some privacy while she changed instead of his leering eyes.

She changed quickly, using magic to hide the marks on her arms. They weren't much, and they didn't hurt too badly, but the designs definitely resembled hands and if they weren't there this morning, everyone would put two and two together.

Hermione didn't dally, changing quickly and brushing her hair out. She barely had enough time to brush her teeth before Ron was pounding on the door again.

"Hermione, hurry up! Everyone's waiting."

Biting back a reply she slipped from the bathroom, ensuring that Malfoy's door was firmly shut before exiting. The last thing she needed was a rampaging Ron rummaging through his things. Talk about a disaster.

Her room seemed the same when she returned, even the cabinet in the corner left alone. Ron was still upset when she stepped from the bathroom, but his actions were gentler, his hands resting lightly around her as he pressed his lips to her neck, applying more pressure than she really needed.

She shrugged him off, throwing her night clothes across the room. She took his hand, hoping he read the action as sweet instead of a trick, and dragged him out the door. Somehow, she evaded any questions about her room.

At least Malfoy wasn't around. Although his presence might've been helpful earlier she could only imagine it causing disaster now.

Stepping back into the common room, she narrowed her eyes and gripped her wand. Walking alone with Ron to Hogsmeade could quite possibly be the worst choice she'd made in days.

* * *

"We should probably meet up with the boys soon," Luna mused, sucking on some sort of lolly she'd bought earlier that day. Hermione tried to smile, but the thought made her stomach turn.

She'd spent the better part of her day with Ginny and Luna, laughing like they used to during school, before the war changed everything. They'd gone shopping, disappearing from the boys at some point. Hermione would be lying if she said it wasn't a relief to be away from Ron for a while.

They'd seen each other throughout the day, passing by as they shopped. There were a lot of new sites to see in Hogsmeade, different shops and spectacles that hadn't been there before. There were also a lot of side businesses towards the outskirts, people who seemed to travel instead of staying in one place. Though they drew a crowd the girls kept away from them, seeing no reason to go snooping around there. It wasn't what they came for anyway.

She'd even seen Malfoy earlier, sauntering around with his friends. She tried to recall the name of the female draped against his side, but she couldn't remember for the life of her. At least she knew he'd be occupied and out of her hair for the day.

Ginny nodded to Luna, apparently missing Hermione's unease. The walk to Hogsmeade might've passed peacefully, but Ron snapped in her ear that they had some shopping to do before leaving that night. After seeing the attractions on the edges of the town, she had some sort of idea where they were going, and she didn't much like it.

Luna said something to her, and she nodded absentmindedly. Although the afternoon was spent in the company of her favorite people she couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling crawling up her back. As soon as they departed, she'd have to go shopping with Ron, or else try to convince him it was a bad idea. Either way she didn't see the experience going very well.

Hermione floated through her friends, somehow ending up at Ron's side again when they all met up. Everyone went to dinner, and although conversation carried between them she couldn't focus much on it, nodding when appropriate instead of absorbing the words. Ron sat beside her in the booth, his hand constantly resting on her thigh. It wasn't threatening, not like some of the other times he'd touched her recently, but she knew if she tried to get up he'd clench and keep her in place. This was his way of keeping an eye on her.

Whether he was suspicious of her actions against him, she wasn't sure. Maybe he worried she'd mention something about their extra shopping trip to someone, but he needn't worry. She was more focused on how to keep him from buying.

By the time she finally snapped back into reality, focusing again on what was going on around her, they were leaving the restaurant and stepping out into the chilly night. She was thankful she'd thought to bring a jumper.

"We'll see you back at the castle," Neville was saying, snapping her to attention. Her friends were leaving, wandering off towards the dorms. She noticed that she and Ron stood apart from the group, watching their friends go.

The moment Neville stepped out of earshot she whirled on him, eyes glaring angrily into his own. "What did you tell them we were doing?"

"Relax," he grumbled, clasping her hand. "I told them we were stopping by the Quidditch store again. They don't know anything."

"You shouldn't lie to everyone Ron," she hissed, attempting to pull her hand from his grasp. He was holding tightly, nails biting into her flesh again and she didn't want to cause a scene. His movements were jerky, dragging her along too quickly, his head twitching back and forth too often. She glanced at his opposite hand, noting that he was scratching relentlessly at his face instead of bothering with a wand, as though he couldn't stop.

"I'm not lying," he snapped, pulling her off the main road and into an alley. They followed it to the end, coming out closer to the outskirts than she liked. "I'm just evading the truth."

Hermione grunted, deciding he wasn't going to listen to anything she said. Here in the outskirts, where people seemed to be selling whatever they could, she felt much more uncomfortable than before. She couldn't believe these people were able to set up camp at a town where students frequently visited, especially considering some of the things they appeared to be selling. She felt like she was in Diagon Alley instead of Hogsmeade.

Ron pulled her right along, oblivious to her discomfort. Apparently he'd been here before; he knew right where he was going, dragging her through the throng of people without a second thought. Her eyes watched the sights around her, caravans selling odd artifacts and in some cases displaying girls in front of the stands. She crinkled her nose, shifting closer as they moved along. Probably better to be attached to him than alone.

He stopped outside what appeared to be a tent, dipping in before she could read the sign. Inside it was too hot, sucking the air out of her lungs. Ron tugged her up to a guy behind a counter, finally releasing his hold on her wrist. She stepped back and massaged the skin, looking around.

 _Is this really where Ron buys Willow's Weep? Creepy little tents?_

Ron leaned forward and spoke lowly to the guy on the other side of the counter, clearly keeping Hermione out of the conversation. She took in the low drooping tent, a few people sitting in low chairs around the space. The tent jutted off into smaller rooms to her right, and she couldn't see what happened inside behind the flaps of fabric.

Something probed into her side, and Hermione turned to see Ron holding out a hand expectantly, eyes cold and detached. "Give me your purse."

She scowled, wondering when Ron would realize that this was a terrible idea. She clutched the bag closer, taking a step from him. His expression hardened. "No. I told you I won't pay for it."

He reached out and jerked her forward, hitting her knee on the counter and dragging her close. If the other people in the tent found the motion strange they didn't react, some even looked on in interest. He breathed in her face, his hands clutching at the material of her top. "You promised."

"I didn't-"

His other hand reached out to pinch the side of her neck, pressing tight over the skin. Her eyes widened in pain. "Yes you did."

She tried to say something again but his hand squeezed her neck, pressing against a tendon there she couldn't recall, pain flaring beneath his touch. He could choke her if he so desired, but instead he was causing pain to her neck instead. Slowly, she realized he was pressing on a pressure point, slowly dropping her down to her knees.

"Hermione, the money."

She couldn't believe he was actually doing this, sinking her to her knees to make her give him money for an addiction. She snapped her arm towards her pocket, reaching for it wand tucked in there, her fingers pressing around the wood-

Hermione staggered, falling back against the earth as pain shot through her stomach. She gasped, playing back the moments that just happened in her head, trying to figure out what happened. Her fingers clutched at her side, brushing over her ribs and the pain blossoming there. It took a moment to realize that he'd kicked her.

She turned her eyes up, dazed as he picked up the purse and handed over a wad of her money. He glanced at her as he set the bag down beside her, eyes distant and empty. He bent, kissing her lightly on the lips as she tried to jerk away.

"Sorry Hermione."

She followed his movements, struggling to sit up as the shock set in. He'd kicked her just to get some money for a quick trip. He left her on the ground while he disappeared, the other figures in the room taking more of an interest in her as he disappeared. She should draw her wand and hex him for all he's worth.

Hermione staggered to her feet, clutching at her side still, seeing Ron disappear into the curtained room, seeing the carelessness on the other people's faces in the room. Like it was usual to see this. Like it didn't matter to them.

She stepped away from the crowd of eyes, eyes suddenly intently focused on her. Screw Ron, she'd deal with him later, later when he was drugged and couldn't focus on her. All she wanted to do right now was get away from the prying eyes and run for the castle.

Turning on her heel she stopped suddenly, drawing her wand at the figure in front of her. He obscured her path, and seemed to have appeared from nowhere. She pointed the instrument at him but he only chuckled, his own wand dangling in his fingertips.

He stepped forward, ignoring the wand pointed at his chest, letting on finger trail out to touch her hair. She slapped his hand away, feeling the suffocating amount of people in the room. Suddenly they didn't seem so careless and detached, but she couldn't chance a look over her shoulder to check. He chuckled again, taking another step.

"Where do you think you're going?" he breathed, reaching a hand out to her.

 **A/n:** Let me know how you think the story's going. Yes Hermione could stand up for herself more, but there's a reason why she isn't so ballsy. I also would love to know how dark you think Ron's addiction and the story should go. I'm on the boarder and haven't decided yet. Until next time dearies.


	5. Chapter 5

**Warnings: Substance and physical abuse mentioned.**

"Enough. We're not going Theo."

Draco scowled, wondering how much longer they had to play his games. They'd been standing there for the better part of twenty minutes, fighting Theo about going back to the castle. Honestly the idea didn't appeal to Draco; he didn't want to go back yet. There was plenty to do, and now that everyone underage was trickling back to Hogwarts the real fun could begin. Blaise was being a killjoy trying to drag them back.

He was within reason though. Theo wanted to break off and go to the tents, and they both knew he couldn't do that. As unmanageable as he was he'd be worse if he escaped over there. Draco wasn't in any mood to clean up the mess again.

"You can't-"

"I can and I will. It's for your own good anyway. Draco, a bit of help?"

"Blaise is right," he said with a shrug, stepping in his friend's path once again. He had a far off look in his eyes, and they were going to have to resort to magic soon to keep him put. "It won't do any good running off that way. We'd have to follow. You can't take any more Theo or you'll never break the habit."

"One more time," the bloke argued, glancing between his two friends. His knuckles were white, fingers clenched too tightly around the wood in his wand. The others held their wands loosely, ready to intercept at any given moment. "That's all I need."

"It's just an excuse mate," Blaise snapped, jabbing him with a finger. "You told us weeks ago you were done. We were fools to trust you. But we know now and you can't be going back to the tents. I know that's where you got your last dose of Willow's Weep."

Draco was pretty sure Weasley obtained his supply from the outskirts of Hogsmeade as well. No one else in the area sold anything like it.

"I promise this will be the last-"

"And you promised that last time," Draco interrupted, scowling at his friend. "We caught you red handed. We should've known Astoria was slipping it to you this afternoon. She'll do anything for money these days."

"Not anything," Blaise pointed out, a chuckle escaping him. "She's still gotta look good for the press. Without daddy's help the family's suffering."

Shrugging, the blond studied his nails. "We're going back to the castle Theo, whether or not we have to stun you. It's easier if you just come with us. I've still got half the bottle left in my dorm. We can buy more on the way."

Blaise frowned, dark eyebrows drawing together on his forehead. "That really won't help the problem."

"It's much better than the alternative."

He didn't have an argument for that, and instead turned his attention back to their friend. Nott's eyes kept darting between them, looking for an opening. They were familiar with the tactic and knew he'd strike soon. Magic was useless in this instance for him. He'd failed enough times to know he couldn't get past them that way, and his temper didn't allow him to strategize. Brute strength was what Theo relied on at a time like this, and he was going to make a fool of himself at the town's edge trying to slip by them.

"Besides," Blaise continued, trying in vain to distract his friend, "how do you know the tents are even open? They close sometimes when stocks run low. Last time you only got one bottle, and even with that you managed to blast a hole in the common room wall."

Apparently Theo decided he'd had enough of this. He lunged towards Blaise, who stood closest to the path, attempting to punch him in the side of the head. He sidestepped the attack, and Draco easily used to spell to knock him off his feet. His wand fell from his hand clumsily, and Blaise knelt down to retrieve it.

"We're doing it for your own good mate," Draco commented, stepping into Theo's line of vision. There were beads of sweat dripping down his cheeks and neck, and his eyes darted around dangerously looking for the next opening. His fingers clutched the loose earth, searching for something to help him. "You'll be thanking us someday."

"I won't thank you for shit!" Nott spat, spinning towards the blond. He kicked out, nailing Draco in the shin, causing him to grunt in pain. He moved to kick his friend in return, missing as Blaise used a spell to force Theo upright again.

"Enough you two!" he snapped, stepping between the two. "We're going back to the castle, end of story. I'm sorry Theo but we just can't let you go. You're doing so well."

"Fuck you," the brunette grunted, swinging at them again. "I know the tents are open and you two aren't letting me go! I saw Weasley and Granger heading that way earlier, heard them talking and everything. You just don't want me to be happy!"

He was being a bit dramatic, but Draco couldn't quite latch onto his words. Only one thing stuck out in his mind, one thing he'd warned the girl of earlier that day. Weasley brought her with to pick up some drugs and get high, and that could only spell disaster for her wellbeing. Why couldn't the bloody wench just listen?

It'd be way too easy if things just worked out in his favor. He watched Blaise apply a binding spell to Theo's hands, grabbing the shorter man by his sleeve as they headed towards the castle. It was routine; they'd drag him back to Draco's dorm and get drunk for the night. It was a cheap escape but it helped Theo forget his addiction at night; it washed away the memories of all their problems for a short while. They would need him to get into the dorm room and to find the bottle.

Watching Blaise drag Theo to the castle, he knew he wasn't going with them. There was a nagging voice in the back of his mind, wondering where the hell Granger was and what sort of trouble she'd gotten herself into. Why couldn't the bint just stand up to the Weasel and put him in his place? She wouldn't have a damn problem if she did.

As it was, that wasn't the case, and Draco couldn't drag his feet towards the school no matter what he did. He found himself clearing his throat, wondering what the hell he was doing. "I'll meet you back there!"

Blaise paused, turning to glare at his friend. Dealing with Nott like this was a two person ordeal. He wouldn't forgive him for any sort of abandonment. "Where the hell are you going?"

"I'll meet you at the door! Take the long way around." He heard Nott saying something, but he zoned out his droning voice and forced his feet to carry him towards the caravans and tents not far away. Certainly his friends were staring at his disappearing back in disbelief and anger, but he knew they wouldn't follow him. Blaise couldn't risk bringing Nott closer to the tents, and he couldn't very well leave him somewhere either. Hopefully he could find Granger quickly and drag her back to the castle, so long as she wasn't already gone.

Navigating the tents was eerily familiar. He'd walked this path a handful of times in search of Theo during these first weeks of school, and he knew the way better than he liked to admit. Rounding the corner, he crashed into someone running, and stumbled back.

He immediately knew it was Granger. Bloody hell.

Staring at her he was surprised there wasn't more fear. Maybe he should be relieved that it took almost no effort on his part to find her, but he could tell she'd come from the exact tent he'd been heading for. She even smelled like it. Her eyes burned with an angry intensity that made him wonder what exactly was going on.

"Granger-"

"Don't say anything Malfoy," she snapped, placing her hand on her hip. The other, the one not holding her wand, rested over a patch of skin at her ribs. He narrowed his eyes, taking in the blossoming bruise on her neck too. "I don't want to hear it."

"What are you doing here?"

She laughed, but the sound came out hollow and empty. "Do you even have to ask? Ron dragged me out here. He needed money. He's too high and gone right now to even know I've left."

"What about-"

"Don't ask," she sighed, shaking her head. The sun was setting, darkening the sky around them. Tents and caravans were setting up the lights for the night, and people were leering at them. If she noticed, she didn't care half as much as he expected. "And what are you doing out here?"

He shrugged, wondering how exactly to explain it without sounding like he cared. "Theo mentioned seeing you come this way earlier with Weasley. I was seeing if you were still alive."

"As if you care," she muttered.

"Where is the Weasel anyway?" he continued, glaring at her as though she hadn't spoken.

Granger's eyes dropped, suddenly very interested in the dirt. "I don't know. I didn't really wait for him to finish."

"He's buying then?"

"Taking," she corrected. "I think he's getting high while out here. He bought more too. I haven't really looked at how much it cost."

"What do you-"

"Malfoy," she interrupted, eyes moving to meet his again. "If you're going to ask me twenty questions can we at least do it on the way back to the castle? I don't know about you, but I've had enough of Hogsmeade."

Draco frowned, wondering if he should just make her fess up right now. She wasn't evading his questions, not nearly as much as he'd expect from the bull-headed Gryffindor. And anyway, he didn't much appreciate the lingering eyes and listening ears.

"Fine," he muttered, turning on his heel. She fell into step beside him, one hand still resting over her side. He thought to ask her about it, but he already knew the answer. All the marks were from Weasley these days.

Walking back to school with her was strange, and he kept glancing at her from the corner of his eye, wondering when she'd suddenly disappear and he'd wake from a very weird dream. But this wasn't a dream, and she was really there wandering beside him, holding her side and not meeting his eyes.

"So are you going to tell me what happened with Weasel," he began, glancing at her as they crossed through the threshold of the school, "or are you going to keep me in the dark?"

"It's really not that great of a story."

"Granger, I don't think any of your stories are all that great lately."

She shrugged, letting the silence lapse over them. Talking apparently was too much for her, and he'd almost given up any hope of figuring out what really happened tonight when she spoke again. "It's the same really. Ron was angry and he took it out on me. I didn't want to pay for his drugs, so he pinched a pressure point in my neck and kicked me in the ribs. He took some money and tossed back what was left. Then he disappeared in the tent and forgot all about me."

Draco's eyes flashed, and he stopped her in the hallway, one hand grasping her arm. "There were other people in the tent?"

"Yes. They didn't care if that's what you're asking. He got away with it, and they just stood around, even the guy taking the money. Then Ron went into this back room and I couldn't see him anymore. I wanted to leave, but this big bloke by the door stepped in the way, even when I pointed my wand at him."

"What did he want?" he asked lowly, his grip tightening. He'd seen the way people reacted firsthand to this particular drug, he knew the results could be catastrophic.

"I don't know," she replied, her voice quieter than before. "He tried to grab me and I stunned him. I stunned the guy Ron paid too, and the other two were too sluggish to do anything. I ran out of the tent. I didn't want to know what they wanted. I just wanted out."

"And you left the Weasel there?" She nodded, her gaze dropping. "And you aren't worried he's going to ream you?"

"Oh, he'll be furious Malfoy, especially once he remembers he brought me. I probably have a couple hours, maybe even the entire night, before he comes banging on my door. Last time he was angry because I didn't want to go to the seventh floor with him. I can't imagine he'll be any better after I left him there."

Draco nodded, pocketing that information for later. Apparently he could expect an angry Weasel at his door at some point. "Why can you stun those blokes and not stand up to him? If you stunned him and showed him you couldn't be pushed around, you wouldn't keep having these problems."

"It's different," she said quietly. "I care for Ron. I didn't care about them."

"And maybe he doesn't care about you," he pointed out, letting go of her arm. "Why haven't you healed yourself yet?"

"You caught me right after I left the tent. I was more interested in getting away."

He nodded again, thinking back to his friends. "Blaise and Theo will be in the common room when we return. We're going to drink. If you can't heal yourself you're going to need to ask before I'm smashed."

Her eyes widened, and she stood silently as his words seeped into her. He took her silence as an opportunity and moved away, continuing towards the dorm. He didn't want to keep standing there where people, especially fellow students, could gawk.

"You don't have to do that!" she called, catching up. "I can do it myself; it doesn't hurt terribly. I doubt anything's broken. He only kicked me once."

"He shouldn't be kicking you at all Granger."

"Well he did, and there's nothing I can do about that now." She matched his pace, running one hand through her bushy hair. She'd finally put her wand away, walking beside him more relaxed than she had the entire way. "Besides, I'm more concerned about what I'm going to say to him when he does show up."

"If you keep hiding out at the dorm he can't say much," Draco replied, eyeing her. "Or spend all your time with your friends and don't let him drag you off alone. Going to the library is probably a terrible idea. He'll calm down soon enough."

"You think I should hide from him?"

"I think you shouldn't keep putting yourself in situations that give him an upper hand. If you refuse to stand up for yourself you should at least give him as little opportunity as possible to get to you. Weasley isn't a total fool; he's not going to do anything with an audience. Among your friends, you're more than safe. In the dorm he can't do much either. He may not like me but he won't put it past me to interfere either, even if he thinks the reasons are purely selfish."

"Well don't worry," she sighed, shooting him a strained smile. "I'm sure we'll see him soon enough. Like I said, once he realizes I completely left him there he'll be looking for me."

Draco nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He wouldn't put it past him to confront Granger and get physical again. It was only a question of whether or not she'd stand up for herself and put him in his place.

Better yet, she could fess up to her friends and tell the truth. Get the bloke the help he needs and get him the hell out of Hogwarts.

He was almost to the door when Granger stopped him, one hand grasping his sleeve. He glanced over his shoulder at her, noting how many bags appeared beneath her eyes as the days passed.

"How did you know where I'd be?" she said quietly, peering into his eyes. "Among the caravans and tents, how did you know where to look?"

He smirked, realizing she'd never put the pieces together until now. "Theo."

* * *

It took longer than Draco expected for Blaise to drag Nott up to the common room, but it did give him enough time to heal Granger. They weren't in the common room like he planned, which meant they didn't see her hobbling towards her room. Apparently the witch would accept help when she wanted to, even if it was just healing a bruise. Too bad she wouldn't just do what was best for her.

Once they actually got some liquor into their friend, Theo became much more tolerable. He still complained about Willow's Weep, trying to occasionally sneak out of the common room to no avail. Thankfully one of the components in the drug was alcohol, fused together with some sort of magic and other rubbish. It took the edge off him if only for a while. Before long he was lying across the sofa, snoring.

"So what's the deal with Granger?" Blaise asked when Nott finally fell asleep. He had a glassy look in his eyes, the drink kicking in. Draco could feel his mind relaxing, his joints settling back into the comfortable seat. "Don't look at me like that Draco; I know that's where you ran off to earlier. Your eyes practically fell out of your head when Theo mentioned it."

He shrugged, trying to brush off the topic. "Well, I can't have the Head girl dying now can I? They'd make me shack up with some other bint then."

"That's a load of bull," he snapped in return, narrowing his eyes. "Until a few weeks ago you didn't give a damn about her. Then I catch you watching her in classes and today in Hogsmeade, and suddenly you're disappearing off in the direction Theo said she was going? What gives?"

Draco pursed his lips, wondering what exactly he could say to Blaise that wouldn't make Granger want to strangle him. He doubted Blaise would go tell anyone, he wasn't much for gossip unless it was about the newest girl he slept with. Still, Granger was very uptight about her secret.

Screw it, he decided. He never promised he wouldn't say anything, did he? He couldn't quite recall. "Weasley's been taking Willow's Weep. He dragged her down there earlier to restock."

Blaise frowned, the shot halfway to his mouth. He slammed the glass back on the table, shaking his head. "You've got to be kidding me. How many of us are on that shit?"

"It's the most available drug," Draco said with a shrug. "It's the easiest to get ahold of too and the most popular right now. A lot of people are on it these days."

"Apparently even the Gryffindor's," he muttered. "So what was Granger doing down there?"

"He dragged her along for money. I guess even the cheap drugs are too pricey for him."

Shaking his head, Blaise glanced back to her bedroom door. "And she isn't chewing him out for it? Granger's pretty level-headed. I have a hard time imaging her letting him get away with something like that."

"You'd be surprised. Weasley's found some methods of persuasion she can't and won't fight off."

He narrowed his eyes, picking up slowly on the meaning. "So he's beating her?"

"Enough to get her to keep his secret. She's kept it from their friends and all of his family. In return for the favor he loses his temper and beats her up. Nothing too terrible yet, he hasn't broken anything and he hasn't beat her within an inch of her life. But she won't listen to reason either. She thinks she can solve all of his problems and keep the secret at the same time. She's being illogical."

"I'll say. If she'd only seen Theo earlier, maybe she'd reconsider. If someone gave him any empathy while trying to reason with them he really would beat them without a second thought. She's lucky Weasley hasn't reached that point yet. But he will, and if she's being soft it's not going to end well."

Draco shrugged. "I've told her that and she won't listen. She's stubborn, and she's got this moronic belief going on that she can make him see reason and cure him. Problem is she won't stand up for herself while doing that."

"It's her funeral then," Blaise shrugged, tilting his head back to down the remainder of his drink. He slammed it down, glancing at the glasses around him. "Should've bought another bottle."

He nodded absentmindedly, staring up at the ceiling. He wasn't drunk, not by any means. But his mind was relaxing, and irritatingly enough all it would focus on was Granger. How the hell was he supposed to get to sleep with her on his mind? At least he had an excuse while his friends remained in the dorm. Once they were gone he'd have to contemplate why the hell he couldn't stop thinking about her.

It was getting annoying.

Dropping his eyelids, he tried to focus on something pleasant. Anything but his bushy haired dorm-mate. Settling into the couch, he forced his body to relax. With any luck Weasley wouldn't be an ass until the morning.

 **A/n:** Thanks for reading. Hermione will get better as the story progresses, and Draco will play an important part. Thanks for all the comments last chapter, it helps to decide which direction the story will go in. Updates will be consistent, every week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays depending on what my schedule at work allows.


	6. Chapter 6

**Warnings: Physical, emotional and substance abuse. Alcohol use.**

Hermione woke to the tedious banging outside her room, muffled shouts barely breeching the hard wood of her bedroom door. She attempted to drag a pillow up over her head, dulling the sounds of his shouts as she groaned. She didn't need to guess who it was.

She should just put a silencing spell on her room and go back to sleep. Ron had no idea what the password to the common room was, and unless Malfoy was in an especially rigid mood he wouldn't let the bloke in. Ron couldn't enter the rooms so long as she didn't provide entrance. And why would she do that when he was obviously angry?

Despite that, she couldn't will herself to ignore him. She was thankful he has least found his way back to the castle after he came down from the high, though she wondered what that meant for her. If she ignored him now there was no guarantee that he'd be calmer when sober, and that would prolong the inevitable. She could go stand up to him, give him a piece of her mind too about what happened earlier that night. But that could lead to catastrophe.

Against her better judgment she hopped out of bed, grasping her wand as she made her way into the common room, feet bare on the cold floor. She still wore her clothes from earlier, the desire to lie down and forget about this evening larger than the need for proper sleep clothes. At the door she steeled herself, noting how Ron's screams had become nothing more than pounding on the door. Cracking it open just a hair, she steeled the lock so he couldn't just shove his way in.

"Ron."

He didn't seem to notice her for a moment, continuing to pound on the door. His hand came alarmingly close to her face and despite herself she flinched back, immediately scolding herself. How was she supposed to stand up to Ron if she was already cowering?

He had a far off, distant look in his eyes, the pupils dilated so badly that they took up a major portion of his eyes. His other arm held him up against the doorframe, seeming to be the only thing keeping him from toppling over. When he did notice her he reached out to grab her and she pushed harder against the door, willing him to stay outside.

"Hermione! There you are!" He leaned against the wood, his weight pushing her back. The lock remained in place, her wand ready if he did break into the dorm. She turned her head as he breathed on her, the smell tainted with alcohol. Apparently he was more than high.

"Here I am Ron," she said, trying to snap in return. Her voice came out softer than she meant it to. She intended to give him a piece of her mind for kicking her, for taking advantage of her caring nature. Instead she sounded pathetic. Clearing her throat she tried again, turning away the side of her body he'd already beat up. "What do you want?"

"Lemme in," he said, his voice slurring as he spoke. "I think we gotta talk. Gotta talk about you!"

Great, a drunk, high Ron who wanted to _talk_. If she had to take a guess, he wanted to do anything but talk. "Ron, it's late. We can talk in the morning when you've slept."

"We'll talk _now_ Hermione!" he slurred, shoving against the door again. He managed to push her in, and as she moved to use a locking spell and completely shut Ron out he doubled his efforts, breaking the lock as he threw the door open. She fell back her wand skittering across the floor.

"Ron!" she snapped, scrambling back as he stalked into the common room. He banged the door shut, the broken lock useless as it slammed back into place. She glanced across the room, staring at the space her wand disappeared into. As far as she could tell, it was under the sofa. She flicked her wrist, attempting to bring the wood back to her hand when something from the side connected with her shoulder, and she lost concentration.

He'd kicked her again. Not twelve hours ago he'd bruised her ribs doing the same thing, and now he was at it again in the blasted common room. She rolled out of the way as his foot came down again, shooting out of the way so he connected with only air. He stumbled, and she used the advantage to get to her feet again.

There seemed to be no reasoning with Ron. He was mad at her for not waiting around in that dingy tent, and now he was here to take it out on her while he was too far gone to care. Taking several steps back she monitored him, the way he suddenly spun around to glare at her.

Where the bloody hell did his wand go?

"Quit it!" he snapped, starting towards her. "You were supposed to wait for me!"

She held up her hands, shaking her head. She was on the opposite side of the dorm from her bedroom, crammed against Malfoy's door. How he was sleeping through this mess she didn't know. Maybe he left when his mates did and she was alone, unable to grasp at anything but her own dwindling rebellion to stand up to Ron. There was no way he'd slept through their scuffle and Ron's screams she realized, and that meant there was currently no one else in the dorm.

Maybe he thought she'd be smart enough to not open the door.

Clearly, he was wrong.

She ducked when he moved to punch her, scrambling out of the way as he staggered again. Thankfully Ron wasn't quick when he was on drugs, and even slower when he added alcohol. She managed to make it to the other side of him with ease, and she quickly called her wand back to her. No way was she going to let him get another hit in.

He rounded, ready to strike again, but his movements stilled as he noted the wood angled at him. His eyes traveled from her hand to her face, and she steeled her expression as much as she could as their eyes met.

"Put it down," he snapped, straightening up. Although he towered over her she didn't feel helpless, not with the added help of her wand. He hadn't caught her off guard, she knew the confrontation would be explosive. The pain in her shoulder made her focus, reminding her what might happen if she started feeling bad and trying to help Ron instead of being wary. Right now wasn't the time to feel bad.

"You need to leave Ron," she said, raising her head as much as she could. "Right now."

He scoffed, stepping closer. Clearly he didn't think she'd do anything. Given their history he had a point. "I'm not leaving Hermione. We have to talk!"

His voice grew louder the more he talked, and it was grating on her nerves. Whenever he got so loud she knew he wasn't focusing on what he was doing. He probably wouldn't recall bugging her at three in the morning when he woke up later. He would black out hurting her at all.

"Tomorrow," she snapped, trying to sound more and more forceful. If he realized she wouldn't budge, maybe he'd go away. Maybe she could avoid him all day until he had more time to calm down. "I'm not talking to you anymore tonight."

"The hell you aren't-"

He was cut off by the common room door swinging open, a dazed Malfoy stepping through. He spotted the smashed lock first, frowning as his eyes swept the room, from their dueling stance to the obvious dent in his bedroom door. Hermione couldn't help but be grateful he'd arrived.

"Weasley, why the fuck are you here?" he grunted, crossing the space between them. Ron still avoided drawing his wand, and she was beginning to wonder if he'd lost it somewhere along the way. It wouldn't surprise her at this point.

"Fuck off Malfoy," he snapped, glaring at the blond, "None of your business."

Malfoy stopped directly in front of Ron, blocking her directly out of his line of vision. If she was surprised by this, she didn't say. If anything, she was happier to have someone on her side. Malfoy disagreed with the way Ron handled things, so maybe having him here was all the better. At least he was less liable to try and hit her again this way.

"It _is_ my business Weasely," he sneered, getting in the other man's face. "This is my dorm you broke into, my shit that you're going to end up breaking." He pointed past the redhead towards his room. "Did you dent my door?"

"Malfoy-"

"And none of this shit about talking with Granger either," he continued, pressing his wand into Ron's chest. "I've seen what happens when the two of you _talk_. Never ends up very pretty, does it mate?"

Ron's eyes flashed, and she wished Malfoy would just keep his big mouth shut. He had to mention that he knew Ron was hitting her? He couldn't just leave well enough alone?

"She told you!" he screamed, moving to jump around Draco, his arms outstretched. He stepped in the way and shoved Ron back again, keeping Hermione a good distance away from him. Her shoulders never relaxed, but she felt a bit better. "You bitch!"

She shuddered, trying to convince herself it was just the alcohol talking. Ron would never be so cruel to her.

Then again, he'd proven her wrong before.

"Weasley," Malfoy snapped, shoving him back again. "Get out. It's three in the bloody morning. Go back to your dorm. I'm sure they'll be _thrilled_ to see you."

Ron shook his head, clenching and unclenching his hands. Hermione tensed, knowing all the signs of Ron's temper by now. She stepped closer to Malfoy, attempting to warn him about Ron. A moment later she realized it wasn't needed.

Ron snapped forward to strike the blond, who lazily raised his wand and sent him shooting back into the wall. Dazed, he shook his head and struggled up again, pupils seeking out his pale head. When he moved forward a second time, Malfoy simply stunned him.

"You fight like you're drugged Weasley," he pointed down, moving closer to the man on the floor. Ron was glaring up at him, seemingly trying to make him burst into flames with his eyes. "I guess that makes sense since you are."

Hermione moved closer to the duo, watching them from a distance. Why Malfoy even bothered talking to Ron she didn't know; he had no real reason to. She stopped beside him, ignoring the disapproving look Draco shot her as they stood together over Ron's prone form. She couldn't help feeling bad for him.

"What is he even doing in the common room Granger?" he snapped, narrowing his eyes at her. Ron lay still at his feet, and despite herself she couldn't help glancing down. "The fucking doors enchanted. No one can come in or out unless we open it or give them the _password_. Which ridiculous choice did you make?"

He was angry, angrier than she thought he'd be after finding her in there. She expected him to be irritated that all this was happening so early in the morning, but he looked downright furious, and she was surprised by the rising emotions in his face.

"He was screaming," she said, her voice wavering as she spoke. "He wouldn't leave until we talked. I just opened it a crack-"

"A crack?"

"-and he pushed his way in," she finished more quietly, looking down at Ron again. Sometime between being stunned and hitting the floor he'd passed out.

"You're telling me Weasley showed up in a foul mood and you thought it was a good bloody idea to _open_ the door?"

"Well for one thing," she snapped, turning her eyes up to glare at him, "I thought you were in your stupid room! I figured Ron wouldn't get away with anything without waking you up."

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Some of the blond fringe around his eyes fell forward. "That's a lousy excuse Granger. You just wanted confirmation that he didn't die out in the woods on the way back. That's it."

Maybe he was onto something there, but she'd never admit to it. Instead, she changed the topic.

"We can't just leave him there like that Malfoy. Help me move him up onto the couch."

"Are you mad? He's not sleeping here. I have no desire to have the rest of the room destroyed when I wake up tomorrow. Besides, that's more of an excuse for him to wake up and beat you. No way Granger. Leave him in the hall. He can find his way back when he wakes up."

"And what if someone sees him passed out outside the door? That's going to raise suspicion. Besides, if he's mad at me for leaving him in Hogsmeade I'm sure he'll be super happy to know I shoved him into the hallway while he was unconscious. It'll really make it easy to talk next time." She scowled, crossing her arms.

"Well we aren't leaving him in here," he snapped, his eyes dusting over her. She noted that he seemed ruffled, like he'd dragged himself up not long ago, his clothes mussed like he'd been asleep. He straightened, turning his attention from the ginger. "Did he hurt you again?"

Hermione shrugged, eyes still fixated on Ron. He might jump up at any unforeseen moment and Malfoy has his back turned. "It's not bad."

" _Granger_."

She sighed, trying to sound less flustered than she was. He wasn't supposed to ask about that. It gave her the strangest idea that he cared. "When we were scuffling he kicked my shoulder. It isn't so bad." She inclined her head towards the door. "Nothing like your door though."

"If he hit you with enough force to dent my door it would've knocked you out cold and probably broken something. Then where would you be? How do you know he would've stopped at that?"

"I don't," she said, her voice louder than expected. "But I can hope anyway. Besides, I missed that one. I got my wand back then. It doesn't matter what else happened."

Below them Ron grumbled, shifting in his sleep. Draco's spell was already wearing off, apparently not as strong as she'd expected. He looked back towards her, glaring again. "Hallway. End of story. If he woke up while we were moving him it would just be more of a disaster. He'll wake up in a few minutes anyway. We can soundproof the dorm and go to sleep. He won't bother again until morning."

"He's drunk _and_ high Malfoy. I doubt he'll wake up soon and just wander off."

Frowning, Draco leaned a bit closer to Ron. "Strange. I always thought alcohol helped lull the problem but it seems to have made Weasley more useless than normal." Nudging him with the toe of his shoe, Ron slapped lazily at him. "He'll be fine in the hallway. He's just groggy. He'll be able to make it back to his dorm if he already made it here, no problem."

Hermione worried her lip as Malfoy drew his wand. Levitating Ron up off the floor. Of course he would never touch him, and maybe it was easier this way. She followed, her hands itching to join in and drag Ron all the way back to the Gryffindor common room where she'd know for sure that he was fine.

"Open the door Granger."

She did as he asked, her eyes darting back and forth between Ron and the couch. She couldn't levitate Ron all the way back to his dorm by herself; even the best wizards would be exhausted trying something like that. She would need Draco's help and he wouldn't give that. She wouldn't try to wake him up and walk him back, that was just stupid.

As Malfoy dropped Ron unceremonially onto the floor she hurried out with a throw blanket, tossing it over his grumbling form. Yes, he'd be mad when he woke. But by then maybe she'd have a better plan in effect for how to handle things.

"I doubt he's going to give a damn about that Granger."

She ignored him, straightening out the throw so he wouldn't freeze. Malfoy was right; he'd be able to make it back just fine to his dorm, angry or not. Once she was satisfied that he wouldn't freeze out in the corridor she backed up, eyeing Malfoy.

"And you're sure he can't just sleep on the sofa?"

Draco shrugged. "If he wakes up and beats you to death in your sleep it won't be my fault. You'd let the moron in."

That settled it then. Stepping back into the common room she moved to the sofa and fell down, letting her head lull against the back. She reached up and rubbed her shoulder, staring blankly into the distance.

"When did everything go wrong?"

"When you started letting him beat you?" Malfoy asked, and she could definitely remembering having similar conversations with him enough times.

"That's not when it started!" she snapped, turning her eyes sharply up to him. "It started when Fred died and Molly became a recluse and all his brothers became distant! And nobody paid any attention because they were all self destructing trying to mend all the loss. And no one noticed one more person slipping. Everyone slips. Ron just slipped farther." She brushed at her cheeks, realizing she had started to cry. How pathetic. "And only I noticed. And I kept his stupid promise. And now I can't break it or I've failed him. I _have_ to find a cure Draco! If I can't save him he'll never save himself. And that'll just be another huge blow to everyone."

Malfoy blinked and sat quietly, shocked into silence by either the use of his first name or by her emotional spiel, perhaps both. She dropped her head to her hands and cried, feeling more useless and pathetic than ever before. She wanted to help Ron, help mend him and the rift driven between all the Weasley's after Fred's death. She wanted to help fix _something_ besides all the grief, and she'd done an absolute shit job at it so far.

She flinched when he reached over and patted her back awkwardly, before she remembered this was Malfoy – _Draco_ – and not Ron. She let him comfort her, his attempts feeble as they were. It was nice to have someone who cared, even if Malfoy was the only one who knew.

Hermione felt better knowing someone, anyone, cared about her wellbeing and knew what was going on. Why couldn't Ron be receptive that way?

Pulling herself together she sat up, rubbing at her cheeks. She hated crying, and she definitely hated crying in front of someone else. But he didn't say anything about it, staring at anything but her. It was a slip of tongue to use his actual name, but she was so infuriated with everything she couldn't think of a better way to get his full undivided attention. It worked.

"If Weasley wasn't such an arse he would realize you do care," he said eventually, breaking the silence. "But his attention is invested elsewhere, and no amount of caring will change that. He's never going to take into account how much you care so long as he cares about something else more. And he cares enough about his addiction to not care about you."

"I guess I shouldn't bother trying to find a cure then," she muttered quietly. "He's so hard to manage. He's getting more and more out of control. Everyone's going to end up finding out his secrets, and then everything will be for not."

Draco shrugged, and she let his silence be his answer. He didn't disagree, and he didn't have a way to make it better either. All he could offer were some scant words of comfort, and comfort didn't seem to be something he was terribly familiar with.

"I thought you were going to get smashed," she said, smiling faintly at his words earlier. The stitch in her side was a dull ache now, magnified by the pain in her shoulder.

"Not enough alcohol for that," he commented, nodding his head. "We got Theo wasted so he'd sleep and not think about anything. Took too much alcohol, there wasn't enough left for us to get drunk. I did have to help Blaise get him back though. He wasn't motivated for anything."

Her smile grew a little, imagining a drunk Theo being hauled around by Draco and Blaise. The image was a bit comical, if she didn't already know he had the same addictive tendencies Ron did. So why did getting drunk make him sleep and make Ron a raving lunatic?

"At least he's manageable," she muttered, rubbing the skin of her shoulder. Malfoy caught the action, sitting a little straighter.

"Let me look at it."

"You looked at my rib earlier and that's healed up nicely. You don't need to worry about this too. I can use some healing salve and a spell, nothing big."

"Hermione," he countered, twisting up his nose as though her name tasted bad in his mouth. It was weird to hear him use it, and she wondered if he was only compelled to because she'd used his. He shook his head, as though he could shake her name right out of his head. "Let me look at it."

"It's really okay-"

"When are you actually going to let someone help you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "You'll have to tell your friends eventually what happened, and that will probably take the rest of the school year. Besides, healing spells are always stronger when administered by another. Let me see."

She sighed, and the logical side of her brain told her that was all true. Sitting forward she unbuttoned the first two buttons of her shirt enough to reveal the skin beneath, ignoring his steady gaze. She wasn't completely stupid; she knew it was already bruising.

"Is this one darker?" he asked, tugging at the top. She ignored the heat of his fingers, the fact that he was tugging on the thin material of her blouse. His eyes were fixated on her shoulder, and it would be so easy to look lower. She felt her cheeks heating up and wondered why her brain had to travel there.

He hadn't seen the bruise on her ribs, not really. She'd lifted the shirt enough for him to see what he was doing, but it'd been in her bedroom and everything felt so strange and unreal she'd kept the lights low so he could see the difference in colors between her skin and the mark but not the full extent. Besides, the bottom part of her bra showed and she would be mortified if he commented on that.

"I haven't seen it," she muttered, ignoring his sweeping eyes. "If it isn't purple then no, it's not as bad."

He shot her a look but said nothing, drawing his wand instead to heal the bruise. Some of the flaring pain disappeared immediately but unlike her rib she didn't feel the pain disappearing fully. He drew back, something dark remaining in his eyes.

"Put some salve on it, it'll help with muscle pain. Put some on your rib too if it still hurts. Your neck's looking better."

She reached up and rubbed the skin at her neck, the blush remaining. She couldn't stand those intense eyes peering openly at her for so long. "I will."

He didn't tell her to do anything else, instead standing to stretch his legs. She stood as well, noticing for the first time the two bottles to the right of the table. She thought his breath smelled faintly of alcohol. Peering up at the clock she realized it was almost four.

"Thank you for helping me with Ron," she said as he moved towards his door, glancing back over his shoulder. "Whenever I think I'm going to stand up to him, I fail."

"That's because you keep standing up to your boyfriend," Draco snapped, arching an eyebrow at her. "You need to stand up to Weasley, no strings attached. When you separate the emotional ties things make more logical sense."

He left her on that note, sweeping past his dented bedroom door into the darkened interior, shutting her out. She watched him go, thinking over everything that kept happening.

He made it sound easy, separating logic and emotion. The only problem was actually putting that into action.

 **A/n:** Let me know how it's progressing. Here soon Ron will get more violent, and things are going to break apart in more ways than one. But we'll start seeing more Dramione moments.


	7. Chapter 7

**Warnings: For once I don't have any specific warnings. Alcohol content.**

Hermione found her eyes wandering the Great Hall that afternoon. Ron failed to show up breakfast, and now lunch was almost over and she hadn't seen him at all. He could be back in Hogsmeade, withering away beneath his addiction and going broke. She doubted he'd go back so fast though; he'd taken a lot of her money. He had to have enough to last a few days.

She really didn't like everything she'd heard this morning from her friends; first about Ginny, then about Ron's horrible appearance this morning _and_ the fact that Lavender Brown stumbled in not long after him. She knew where Ron was last night – beating her. No way Lavender had any part in that. Still, it made her stomach knot.

"And you're sure he's alright?" she asked Harry for the fifth time. Harry sighed, turning tiredly to face her.

"I don't know. I think so. He didn't stumble back into the dorm until early this morning. Woke the lot of us up too. Then he disappeared before breakfast and I haven't seen him since. I think he's having a hard time with Ginny and all."

She cringed, feeling bad for bringing it up. Ginny was having night terrors again. She couldn't even bare to think about it, it completely broke her heart. Poor Gin couldn't even make it through the night without screaming. Her dorm mates were worried sick.

"Is she any better?" she asked, hoping to change the topic. Obviously Harry was worried about his girlfriend, and she hadn't even been to see her yet. She'd only learned about it a few minutes ago, and Harry couldn't care less where Ron was. His attention was diverted.

"She's resting right now," he said, running fingers through his dark hair. "She's losing weight; I can't get her to eat much. I even took her to her favorite restaurant in Hogsmeade late last night. She nibbled at it and got sick. She can't keep things down."

"And her sleep habits haven't gotten better either?"

Harry shook his head. "You know they won't Hermione. They all watched the testimony. They all saw him die again in the eyes of the witness." He shook his head. "They shouldn't have gone into his memories. Veritaserum should've been enough. The memory haunts them all. Unfortunately, it's all Ginny can see when she closes her eyes."

Hermione nodded, watching Harry place a roll and some jam into a napkin and fold it over. He'd try to make Ginny eat it later, she was sure. "Have Molly and Arthur been alerted it's worse?"

Scowling, he shook his head. "She doesn't want to mention it. Sometimes it's better and that's what she's hinging on. Her mum is so heartbroken, she doesn't want to make it worse." Chewing his lip, he stared at the far wall, apparently thinking things over. "What about Ron?"

She blanched, hands clenching her silverware tightly. Why did he always have to ask that? "Ron? He's doing okay, a bit moody you know."

"But he was late this morning," Harry commented, bringing back their conversation from earlier. "Hermione, you're sure there's nothing going on with him?"

She shrugged, trying to mask the worry in her eyes. "Nothing more than usual. He's coping, like Ginny."

"Neither of them are coping," he huffed. "You know, Ron reeked of alcohol this morning. I don't fancy you much of a drinker Hermione. Was he drinking with you?"

Damn, she'd forgotten he'd been drunk _and_ high last night, not just the latter. Smiling, she patted his hand. He didn't really need to know the truth. "Honestly Harry, could you imagine me smashed? Ron wanted to have a drink or two, and we talked in the dorm. That's it. We talked into the morning and then he left, saying he'd be okay getting back to his dorm. That's why I was so worried; I haven't seen him and want to know he's alright."

Harry frowned at her, and she knew he didn't believe an ounce of her lie. An ache rose in her heart, and she pressed her lips together to keep from saying anything about Ron that she'd regret. He obviously had more than enough on his plate right now with Ginny; stressing him over Ron too wouldn't help.

Besides, now she had more of Malfoy's support on her side. And Ron knew it too. Maybe he'd lay off for a while.

She decided to leave before he could ask anything more, and she quickly stood from the table, wiping crumbs from her clothes. "I really should get back to my dorm, I have the schedules to make for patrols this week." She smiled, squeezing Harry's shoulder. "I'll come check on Ginny a little later, give you some time together."

Harry nodded gratefully, standing as well. They walked out of the Great Hall together, and it almost felt like old times. Parting ways, she headed towards her dorm room. The walk was usually bleak and boring, and unless Ron developed the unhealthy habit of waiting in the alcoves she knew it'd be uneventful. At the third floor however she stopped, spotting a figure sprinting away in the distance. Even that far away, she'd know the blasted girl anywhere.

 _Lavender._

She was going back downstairs. Hermione considered it a moment, and realized she hadn't seen Ron's former girlfriend this morning at all. Suddenly suspicious she took off after the girl, following as quietly as she could. Thank Merlin she didn't have her bag with her today.

Lavender took the back way out, ignoring the staircases all together. It took a lot longer, and Hermione wondered why the hell she bothered. There was a huge chance she was going off to meet a boy completely different from Ron, or something else completely unrelated, and she was following along for no reason. But Hermione could never quite bring herself to trust Lavender, and the past few months made her suspicious of almost everything. Finally she ducked out of the castle, skipping along the grounds.

She definitely wasn't going to Hogsmeade. Instead she checked over her shoulder once, nearly catching Hermione in the process, and skipped into the woods.

It was a terrible idea to follow her. If this was unrelated to Ron she'd just look creepy, but maybe she knew where he was. She might not live in the Gryffindor dorms any longer, but she heard about what went on. Lavender talked to Ron all the time, though she never seemed interested when Hermione was around. Just as well, that might put more of a rift in their relationship than there already was.

Ron wouldn't approve of her sneaking around trying to figure out where he was. Maybe he was already back in his dorm, passed out and potentially high. Or maybe he was off in the woods, gallivanting with his old girlfriend.

Speculation would do her no good. The worst thing that could happen was Lavender might notice her. Surely Ron wasn't out there, no way. Nonetheless she found herself slipping into the shady trees, walking as quietly as she could behind Lavender. Her interest outweighed the consequences.

They walked for nearly ten minutes until Lavender reached a clearing, breaking into a fit of giggles as she crossed the empty space. Hermione detached herself from the path and slipped into a tree, barely a foot from the ground in her hiding place. From here she was perfectly concealed and able to see what was going on without being obvious. Standing there on her perch, she almost wished she couldn't see anything.

Ron was there, laughing animatedly beside Lavender as she hopped into his arms. They twirled around once before Ron lost his footing, sending them sprawling across the weeds. He was grinning like a fool, his eyes dilated and distant. Her heart clenched.

How could he be nice to Lavender, and so cruel to her? Her heartbeat picked up watching them, and in her mind she imagined it breaking the silence. It might just escape her chest.

"What took you so long?" he asked, his gruff tone taking away from the softness in his movements. She shrugged absentmindedly, apparently unaffected by his tone of voice.

"Parvati of course. We had plans, I couldn't just abandon her." She wiggled her eyebrows, using her wand to make a blanket appear. She scooted onto the fabric, lying back and closing her eyes. "You know how she is. She'd ask too many questions if I didn't show, and we can't have that can we Won Won?"

She cringed at the age old nickname, gripping tighter to her wand. It would be ever so easy to give the witch a good jinx while she was unaware, perhaps causing all her hair to fall out or something… Ron was vain. He wouldn't hang around if she suddenly became bald.

"We had plans," he snapped, the friendliness in his eyes disappearing, the dilation of his pupils becoming more and more apparent. "And you need to follow those first."

Lavender scowled, pulling at the small purse around her shoulder instead of replying. Her wand sat idly by, and she didn't seem to be in any hurry to use it. Didn't she know that she needed to be on her guard around Ron? He could snap at any moment, especially when high.

Her eyes enlarged as a small bottle appeared, an exact replica of all the ones she stole from Ron weekly. Lavender pulled it out along with a needle, and Hermione shrank back. She'd never thought of how people took the crap. She always thought one swallowed it, but it appeared to work like a muggle injection.

"I didn't mention needles," Ron grunted, crossing his arms. He remained on the weeds, out of reach of Lavender and the blanket. She kept scooting the drugs closer, as though trying to entice him.

She tapped the bottle, grinning widely. "Come now, we both know it's a better high. I've even been practicing how to apply the needle. Technically, you can inject anything into your body if you know how to do it. It's more effective than the potion alone."

Hermione was pretty sure she was going to be sick.

Ron shrugged, as though this was normal conversation. He leaned over and snatched the needle and potion from Lavender's hands, setting up the system better than Hermione imagined possible. He was accustomed to this?

The potion went in easily, slipping through the thin plastic tube and depositing some of the bottle into his veins. Ron breathed deeply, cracked his neck, and took a bit more. By the time he returned the bottle to Lavender it was more than half gone.

She frowned as she took it back, using her wand to sterilize the needle again, though Hermione wasn't really sure that counted. "You took too much."

Ron grinned from his place on the ground, reaching out to stroke her hand. "I'll get you back, next time. Besides, you owe me from yesterday."

 _Yesterday._

Hermione's fingers were white against her wand, her breath coming too quickly. They were going to notice her at this rate, and she didn't much care anymore. Was that why it took until three for Ron to make an appearance? He could've been off getting drunk with Lavender, and then turned his anger back on her when they finished.

A heavy feeling settled in her stomach as she watched Lavender inject the remainder of the potion into her veins. She laughed when the bottle was drained, tossing it behind her to break on the uneven earth. She stretched above her, a manic smile dragging across her features. She had the same dilated, possessed look Ron had when he was over the moon.

"I can't believe Hermione's trying to wean you off this stuff," she pouted, batting her eyes at him. "I wouldn't ask you to do something you didn't want Won Won."

He grinned, losing his balance on his hands and falling back on the ground. He reached out and stroked her skin again, his eyes closed. "She wants me to quit; says it's bad for me."

"She's crazy."

"I know she is," he laughed, clapping his hands together. "She won't listen to me, won't let me do it alone. She has to be miss perfect and fix my problem. But I don't have a problem, do I?"

It wasn't a question; Ron expected a certain answer from Lavender. He turned his head, grinning up at her. She returned the look.

"You don't have any problems," she agreed, leaning closer to his face. "She has the problem. You can handle it yourself; you don't need her spoiling all the fun."

"I know!"

Hermione had half a mind to march out there and deck Ron in the head. How dare he make her into the villain? She was trying to help! All Lavender seemed to be doing was feeding his addiction. Did she even know Ron was beating her? Did Lavender know the same fate might await her if she let down her guard?

She seriously doubted it.

Besides, confronting Ron right now would be suicide. She knew enough after yesterday – and all their other terrible encounters – that she couldn't win anything with him in this state of mind. He couldn't focus on anything but himself and it didn't matter who he was hurting. Trying to get in his face while he was drunk and unpredictable was ridiculous. And on top of that he had Lavender to side with him. She really didn't need two high maniacs going after her.

"We won't tell, will we?" Lavender cooed, leaning closer to Ron's face. She stuck out her tongue, dragging it along his jaw and lips. She had to resist the urge to hex the bint right there. "We won't tell _Granger_." This time she said her name with hate. "Not yet anyway. Harry's suspicious that something's wrong; he'll only be nosier if you two suddenly break up. And we wouldn't want him prying; if he finds out about the drugs you'll go to rehab for sure."

Ron frowned. "You would too."

"Are you saying you're going to drag me down with you?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "That's not very gentlemanly of you Won Won."

He shrugged, and Hermione realized how much higher he was than her. Maybe Lavender meant for him to take more than his share; that's why he got to take his hits first. She had less in her system and wasn't high when she arrived. Ron had to be twice as gone as she was.

He muttered something she couldn't quite here, but it made Lavender grin and her blood boil. "Don't worry Won Won, you won't have to tolerate her much… much longer."

Lavender was catching up to Ron rapidly. Maybe her tolerance was lower than Ron's. At any rate it didn't matter, not as she dropped her head lazily and kissed Ron, not when his hands came up and gripped her tight to keep her in place.

Hermione wasn't quite sure how it happened; one moment she was watching her world crumble into an abyss of drugs and the next her wand was out, causing a tree limb to fall several feet from the couple and startle them. She should've dropped it on them.

It didn't matter; she was already running away.

* * *

She didn't go back to her room until late. She spent the majority of her day in the library burying herself in books. Once she went to see Ginny, but after an hour of talking to her sleeping form she left to give the girl some space. The sleep draught really did the trick. Finally she trudged into the common room, trying desperately to ignore the way Malfoy's eyebrows shot up at her appearance. She looked a mess after banging her head against the table three or four times in frustration and crying over books for most of the day,

How bloody pathetic.

What was she even supposed to say to him? This morning he helped her out again, helped her get Ron out and mended her bruises. Her shoulder was screaming in pain again from hanging out in the tree and shouldering books around the library.

Besides, yesterday she'd used his proper name and caused an unnecessary amount of tension between them. Honestly, was she required to call him Draco every time they spoke now? It was a heat of the moment thing, and she didn't think she could. That would make things weirder.

Shaking her head she slouched down beside him on the couch, ignoring his curious looks and the way he set aside his book. Glancing around the table she noted the bottle and the glass and silently cursed. Did the prick live off alcohol?

"Rough day?" he asked, breaking the silence. He grabbed the glass, lifting it to his lips as he waited her response. Hermione eyed the glass, thinking how much more relaxed everyone seemed when they had a device to cope with. She reached out and snatched the drink from his hand, ignoring the way he gaped openly at the empty space. She wasted no time chugging the glass.

Nobody else thought when they took their device, why did she have to? It helped Malfoy cope, and he wasn't a nut job anymore. This seemed safest. And anyway, she knew alcohol took the edge off people.

She sputtered after the first gulp, the second portion ending up on her knees as the drink burned her throat. She didn't drink alcohol; didn't see much of a point smuggling it into school and didn't dare drink anything heavy when she was in Hogsmeade and had to trek back up the hill. This was strong and lucid and horrible tasting. She hadn't expected the git to drink something so horrifically _foul_.

He snatched his drink back as she coughed, her fingers remaining in open air as the other hand came to press over her chest. It took a moment to regain her composure, and even then it was hard with Malfoy sitting right there. When she could finally manage to turn to the git she realized he had the audacity to _smirk_ at her while she struggled.

"You don't drink much do you?" he asked, the expression on his face widening as he magicked another glass. She scowled and looked away, refusing to answer him. As if he needed her confirmation. "I'll take that as a no."

"You're drink is terrible."

"It's strong," he agreed, the gleam in his eyes never leaving. He'd picked up the bottle again, pouring a much small drink for her. He made a smaller bottle appear as well, and she realized it was some sort of soda. Probably chaser – come on, she wasn't oblivious.

He filled her drink the remainder of the way with the second bottle, handing her the glass. "Maybe you won't choke on that one."

Ignoring his jab she took the glass, drinking slower this time. It didn't taste much better, but at least this time it wasn't like a lake of horrific fire down her throat. She gulped twice, taking in the harsh liquid as her head grew fuzzy. Malfoy snatched the glass away before she could take more.

"You really don't want to guzzle that," he said, setting it out of reach. "You don't drink?" She shook her head, confirming his earlier question. Her head felt funny, warm and fuzzy. She thought she remembered reading that was normal. "Why are you then?"

Hermione threw one of hers hands at him, waving him off as she used the other to rub her eyes. Her cheeks were still wet from crying. Obviously, he was going to use her lack of guards to his advantage and find out what happened. He was always poking his nose in her business these days. "Ron."

"The usual then," Draco huffed, picking up his drink. Distantly, she wondered why he was drinking tonight. "That mean I need to heal you again Granger?"

"No," she muttered, rubbing her head. It really was starting to get warm up there. "Ron didn't see me."

"What?"

She directed her attention to him then, facing her body towards his. She crossed her legs on the sofa, leaning sideways against the back of the couch so she could look at him. Reaccounting the story hurt just as badly was witnessing it, and when she finished he handed her back her drink without question, his eyes much darker than before.

"So Weasley's cheating on you?" It wasn't so much a question as a statement. Maybe it was the alcohol, but she thought she heard anger in his voice.

Hermione nodded glumly, swigging more of the drink. She was better at it now, and didn't even sputter as it burned down her throat. It also helped detach her from the present, which made it much easier to discuss Ron's stupid arse. "Yep."

That was a stupid response on her part. She spent most of the day crying wondering what the hell she should do. Now all she could say was a one word response? Maybe the alcohol was dulling her senses too much.

"You aren't honestly going to keep dating his sorry arse are you?"

She shook her head, thinking back to what Lavender said. The girl seemed to have her own agenda planned out didn't she? Besides, she was angry at Ron for too many reasons. She leaned further into the sofa, rubbing it with one hand. "He's nice to her," she whined. "He's not nice to me."

He scoffed. "How anyone can be nice to that bint is beyond me."

Nodding, she attempted to take another. It was empty and Malfoy hadn't refilled it. Pity. "Why doesn't he love me though?"

"He loves what he can get out of you," Malfoy reminded, patting her hand. She assumed she probably looked pathetic, lying there on the sofa so she could interrupt his night and complain. "You want someone who's going to love you for you Granger; someone much better than Weasley."

"But what if no one is better than Ron?" she asked, pouting. It seemed impossible. Shoving her empty glass towards him, she tilted her head. "Ron's loved me _forever_."

"He also probably plans on beating you _forever_ ," Draco spat, the venom in his tone bothering her, Why did he seem so much angrier tonight?

"Well, not forever," she sneered, her face unconsciously breaking into a grin immediately after. Was she agreeing with him? "If he can love Lavender then he's gotta love me way more! He'd learn how."

"It's not exactly something you learn."

"Right." She frowned, worrying her lip. He'd taken her drink by now, and it sat empty on the table. She leaned forward to grab it, missed, and watched the glass shatter on the floor. Malfoy grumbled something she couldn't understand, used a quick spell to magic it away, and replaced it with another. Simple fix.

It was _so_ simple.

Ron thought he was getting away with so much by stringing her along and keeping Lavender on the side. He was beating her, and Lavender got everything good. Hell, he'd left her alone and hurt in a tent so he could go get high.

Maybe he didn't care so much for her after all. He could keep beating her until she broke, just like the glass. And then she'd be replaced, so very easily, by Lavender.

Hermione squared her shoulders. "I must break up with Ron."

Draco paused mid sip, the liquid tilting in his glass. His eyes moved over to her as he lowered the glass in his hand, his expression serious. "What?"

She nodded her head, already going along with her plan. "I need to break up with Ron."

"Granger, I've been saying that for _weeks_. But handling it while you're drunk is a shit idea."

Shaking her head she stood, wobbling slightly for a moment before grabbing the bottle. He didn't stop her this time, smirking a little as she took a drink from the bottle, clenching her eyes shut again at the terrible taste.

Slamming the bottle back on the table she grinned at him, eyes wide and lively. "No, _now_ is perfect. Now while I have liquid courage!"

"It is the best courage," he replied sarcastically. She nodded again, turning from him towards the door. If he expected her to back down, he was sorely mistaken. Ron always confronted her when he had courage on his side, right? Why couldn't she?

Maybe that was the alcohol talking.

She was out the door before she noticed he was following, and she turned around to study him, stumbling only once as she walked. "What're you doing?"

"You didn't think I'd seriously let you go alone did you? That's an even worse idea than this."

"I don't need you," Hermione argued, though her voice sounded whinier than she meant to.

"Oh, you may not need me but I'm coming along anyway." He smirked at her, and that only bothered her more. Why did he think she wanted him to come along?

Why wouldn't she want him to come along? Shaking her head, she continued down the hall. Alcohol gave her liquid courage. Maybe Malfoy could give her real strength.

 **A/n:** I updated early this week since there was a lovely response to the last chapter and I thought it would do some good! Next week's chapter probably won't come out until later in the week, but until then let me know what you think.


	8. Chapter 8

**Warnings: Mentions of physical and emotional abuse. Alcohol content.**

"You know I can't actually come into the common room, right Granger?"

Turning, she grinned at him."Pft, sure you can." She waved a hand at him, walking several paces ahead. "Everyone's sleeping."

"It's eight thirty."

"Same difference." She frowned, her steps faltering a little. "I thought it was later."

Draco followed her along the corridors, wondering if this idea could get any worse. Sure, she needed to break it off with Weasley – and preferably give him a good punch in the jaw while she was at it – but he wasn't sure her inebriated mind would function quite so well when they came face to face. So far it didn't seem to be doing her any favors.

At least she wanted to do something. With any luck she'd remember this when she was sober, and not go crawling back to the creep. Watching her skip along the corridors, he pondered where all that Gryffindor courage had gone.

Apparently, one only needed to add liquor to make the lion roar. Or giggle. He was somewhat buzzed, the alcohol kicking into his system. It was making his focus waiver, and she kept flipping between laughter and somber expressions.

"We could disguise you," she prompted, hands on her hips as she walked. He scrunched up his nose at the very idea.

"We're not going to disguise me Granger."

The blasted girl grinned, her eyes lighting up. "We could dye your hair. Ron would never even recognize you."

"We're _not_ doing that either."

She frowned. "A mustache?"

He considered telling her exactly how he felt about the idea of a mustache when her steps faltered a second time as she reached the corner. He stopped as well, frowning as he watched her eyes widening, and a moment later she spun around as though to hurry back to the dorm. He caught her arms instead, peering around the corner in front of them to spot what she'd seen.

Weasley was wandering alone in the corridor, nothing too unusual, though the bloke looked far too happy with himself. For once he didn't seem to be under the control of drugs, and his steps were steadier than Draco was used to. That wasn't exactly a good sign. The only benefit seemed to be that he was walking away from them.

"I can't talk to him," she said, drawing his attention. "Ron never listens."

"He will this time," he assured her, smoothing down the sleeves of her top. "People tend to listen when you're dumping them." She worried her lip, and he wondered if maybe she was already backing out.

"I suppose so."

"Just think about Lavender," he encouraged, hoping he could direct her muddled mind. "Think about them together. Kissing. You don't want to let him get away with that."

His words seemed to hit home and he was exceedingly grateful, not entirely sure what else he might say that could prompt her. Eyes widening her posture stiffened and she shook off his arms, smoothing down her hair as she evened her breathing. It was interesting to watch the drunk girl attempt to compose herself. Squaring her shoulders she slipped away from him and around the corner leaving Draco to catch up.

He was surprised, expecting a little more hesitation on her part. Instead she marched directly up to the ginger, all former qualms gone, and slapped him in the head.

Draco swore quietly, moving forward to block the Weasel. Surely after all his violent episodes he wouldn't take that sitting down. But the git didn't seem to sense her rebellion, and as he wheeled around she ducked clumsily, his hit missing. As Ron noted the brunette he drew his hand back, staring curiously at her flushed cheeks. Draco stopped just behind her, surprised she managed to avoid it.

"'Mione?"

She scowled, apparently unhappy with the nickname. Draco leaned back against the wall behind her, close enough to act if he needed to but not enough to get in the way if she wanted to handle things alone. He didn't recall hearing that nickname in quite some time.

"Don't _call_ me that," she snapped, jabbing a finger at him.

Ron frowned, eyes looking between the pair. "What, 'Mione?"

"I _hate_ that," she stressed dragging out the words painfully slow. " _'Mione_. Do you know what 'Mione even sounds like?" She placed her hands on her hips, balancing herself. "Whiny."

Draco couldn't quite stifle his laughter.

Scowling, the ginger turned his attention fully to the Slytherin, his eyes seeming to glare holes through his head. "And just what is he doing here?"

"He's my backup," she announced, and Draco thought he could hear a smile in her voice. "In case you screw up."

"Why the hell would I screw up?" he snarled, and the blond frowned again. Weasley was too sober for his liking. With Granger teetering around it was an unfair battle between the two. He let his hands fall into his pockets, fingering the wand there just in case.

Hermione hesitated a moment, seeming to lose her courage. Weasley was close to her now, breathing in her face. Even if he wanted to help her, he couldn't do it now. She had to stand up to the git herself else it might look like this was all Draco's doing, and that definitely wouldn't help the situation.

"I…" her voice trailed off, the stiffness of her shoulders gone. "I was, well…"

Scowling, he tried to recall the last time he'd heard her stutter. It was so out of character and backwards from her actual personality that it made his stomach knot. Weasley really reduced her to _this_?

Draco coughed, one hand coming up to his mouth as he muttered _"kissing"_ behind her. Hopefully it would redirect her fury and help her out.

Coming back into herself, Hermione straightened again and jabbed a finger towards Ron, tapping his chest. "I know you've been cheating on me Ron," she snapped, her voice so much stronger than before. "I saw you kissing Lavender."

If Draco wasn't paying as much attention, she'd be on the floor now for uttering everything so quickly, no build up or anything. No tact. Weasley lost his cool, the lack of drugs in his system not explaining his actions. He struck out at her, his fist aimed to blacken the side of her face. Draco, who never let his fingers off his wand, blocked the blow with a spell before he could connect, sending the git sprawling several feet away.

He had a hard time believing Weasley had reached such a low.

Hermione was shaking now, her hands balled up and her shoulders moving. Ron lay a distance from her, groaning from his impact with the floor. Dracp came up beside her, expecting to find her frightened eyes glaring back. Instead he stalled, meeting her brown eyes head on.

"He's… he isn't drugged," she said, her voice barely rising above a whisper. Draco shook his head once, eyes shifting to watch the ginger across from them in case he got any ideas. He jumped to his feet, seeming to scramble for his wand, which only gave them a moment.

"No."

She nodded, seeming to process everything in slow motion. One moment she was shaking at his side, and the next she was storming the corridor, stopping in front of Ron just as he drew his wand. With a flick of her wrist she disarmed him again, leaving the bloke defenseless.

Shoving her wand into his jugular she glared up at him, ignoring the way he grunted from the pressure. "You were going to do it anyway."

His eyes widened, trying to take her in as she pressed the wand in deeper. "Do what?"

Shifting from his spot behind her Draco glanced around, thankful this corridor was rarely used. He shifted positions, looking between the pair, wondering when they might try to kill each other. It wasn't as late as Granger seemed to think. If someone happened by this would get ugly.

He noted that Hermione's eyes were wet, and she was on the verge of crying. "You would hit me Ron. Even when you're sober."

Eyes flashing he glanced between the pair, expression hardening whenever he focused on Draco as though he could somehow blame everything on him. "Of course I wouldn't! I was aiming for Malfoy."

"You're a terrible liar Ron," she said, her voice cutting through the still night air. "Draco was too far behind me; you aimed for me, and you were going to strike _me_." Her gaze wavered a moment, pupils flickering from Ron to Draco and back again. "I bet you've never hit _her_."

Scowling he flexed his fingers, ginger bangs hanging in front of his eyes. Ron was still wandless from her spell, his biggest defense lying too far away to grab, and with her wand angled into his throat there was no way he'd attempt to summon it back. "Hermione," he said patiently, dragging out her name as though speaking to a young child, "This has nothing to do with Lavender-"

"It has everything to do with Lavender!" she seethed, her wide eyes more frightening than frightened now. "Everything. I've been trying to wean you off the Willow's Weep for weeks and she saunters in and just _gives_ you more."

"That's because she isn't uptight," Ron hissed, his teeth clenched together. Draco got the impression that he meant to say a lot more than that, but was holding his tongue. Whether it was because of him or to try and trick Hermione into forgiveness, he wasn't sure.

"I'm not uptight Ronald! I'm just not bloody stupid! I would never want to take something that would make me forget myself."

"But alcohol is okay?" he snapped in return, his eyes shifting to glare at Malfoy. He inhaled deeper, the scent still strong on her breath. "And I thought you didn't like to drink."

"I don't really think she does mate," Draco agreed, grinning as his face reddened. "'Course, you wouldn't know a thing about that, would you?"

" _Malfoy-_ "

"He's not wrong Ron," she agreed, drawing his attention again. Her cheeks were flushed, the red jumping against the paleness of her skin. "You haven't paid attention to me at all for weeks! Mostly you avoid me so you can go off and get high. I suppose that makes sense, since you were off snogging someone else."

"I haven't been seeing Lavender behind your back!" he hissed, glaring right back into her eyes. "It happened recently."

Hermione pressed her wand further into his flesh, ignoring the strangled cry he let out. Draco was not at all inclined to stop her pressure from possibly puncturing his skin. It was the least he deserved. "How _recently_?"

Ron, in that moment, apparently decided he'd had enough of this. He moved much faster than Draco anticipated, shoving Hermione hard enough to relieve the pressure on his neck so he could dart away towards his wand. Draco caught her before she could stumble drunkenly into the ground. Her brain might be less clogged with fog now, but her balance was still off.

Spinning around to face them Ron shot wildly with his wand, aiming directly between the couple with his spell. Draco, one hand on Hermione's elbow to balance her, one still grasping his wand, managed to block the spell before anything disastrous could happen. He accio'd Ron's wand to him without a second thought, reveling when the thin wood floated from the ginger's hands into his own.

He risked a look away, focusing all his attention for a moment on Hermione. "You okay?"

She shoved away his hand, glaring across the space at Ron. "I'm fine."

Draco watched transfixed as they marched across the corridor, Ron backing away several steps before accepting what was happening and standing his ground, his eyes only focused on Hermione. His feet carried him across the space to his own accord, and he stood just behind her shoulder again as her voice rang throughout the corridor.

"How recently Ron?" she asked, her voice much quieter than before. Draco swore quietly, hearing the pain in her words.

"In Hogsmeade yesterday," he snapped in return, balling up his hands. "You wouldn't even _wait_ for me Hermione! You ran out, you fucking bitch, you wouldn't even make sure I was okay!"

His eyebrows drawing together, Draco felt his composure slipping. Was Weasley really that dense?

"You left me on the floor Ron!" Hermione seethed, shaking her head furiously. "After you kicked me! And you kicked me again that night for good measure, didn't you? My shoulder _still_ hurts from that."

"Yeah well-"

"No!" she cried, leveling her wand to his face. "No talking! Not this time. For once you're going to listen to _me_."

Draco arched an eyebrow as he watched her, moderately impressed with the fire in her voice.

"You've been beating on me for too long Ron. What if you broke something, blackened my eye so bad I couldn't hide it? What were we going to do then?"

"Well, lie of course-"

"But I should never have to lie," she continued, the force of her voice growing as she spoke. "You shouldn't be abusing me for trying to help you! Look at yourself Ron! We're arguing in a corridor over this. Is this really us?"

His eyes grew steely. "I see Malfoy's rubbing off on you."

She shook her head, jabbing him in the chest with her wand. "You've made me feel like this is my fault because I'm not helping you enough, not doing what you want enough to please you. You stole my money yesterday. And you completely forgot about me while you were off getting high. And now you're gallivanting off with the Gryffindor whore?"

Despite himself, Draco smirked. Apparently she could still think well enough with that muddled head of hers.

Ron's cheeks turned impossibly red, redder than they had up until now. "She is _not-_ "

"And you're willing to defend her," she cut in, shaking her head. "A moment ago you told me I'm a bitch, and you've hit me for trying to stand up to you while you're rowdy and high. You don't defend me _ever_ Ron, not anymore. You're too busy trying to break me down."

"You're trying to break me down! You're trying to take away the things I love and change me." He flexed his fingers, the nails on his right hand grating across the skin of his left arm. Draco arched an eyebrow, very familiar with the signs of addiction. He was missing his high.

"The drugs?" she asked, her voice hitching as she spoke. "Or Lavender, because she'll give into whatever you want, and I won't anymore?"

Ron growled, the noise crawling up his throat. Draco tensed, wondering when the git would attempt to strike again. "She accepts me for me! She won't change me at all, she's even willing to try the things I like!" Ron was shaking, clenching and unclenching his hands as he glared at her. "We met up right after you fucking left you know. If you weren't such a bitch yesterday Hermione this wouldn't have happened. I found her wandering the tents, she was still sober and wanted to try. I gave her some of my stash. She'd done it before even. We got off on it."

Her hands slacked then, her jabbing wand dropping as his words kicked in. "What?"

Draco tensed behind her, watching the victorious look in Ron's eyes appear. He wondered how much Hermione would hate him if he knocked the arsehole out himself.

"She's a lot more open than you are," he seethed, successfully jabbing her in the chest. "About pretty much everything. She'll do everything you never wanted to, and she isn't trying to change everything I like to do." He grinned, the expression full of hate. "She lets me do what I need to cope. She gets that."

"Ron," she whispered, shaking her head, "I just wanted to help. I don't want you suffering from addiction."

His eye twitched, and this time he shoved her hard, back into Draco behind her. Instinctively he raised his wand to strike the ginger for daring to act, his ears ringing with blood. If Hermione didn't swat his hand down and turn to silently plead with him, Weasley wouldn't be able to walk for a week.

Pity she had to go and defend him. They'd have to work on that.

"I'm not suffering from anything," Ron reasoned, glaring at the duo in front of him. "The only thing I'm suffering from is you. You won't let me grieve. You won't let me do anything! It all has to happen your way all the damn time."

"Ron, I was only trying to-"

"Oh, fuck off," he grunted, shaking his head. "I don't want to hear it. You're just going to try to convince me that it's to ' _help me_ '. Nothing you wanted me to do would help! You only wanted me to suffer!"

Hermione shook her head. "That wasn't it at all-"

"Fuck you," he snapped again. "I don't want to hear your bullshit." His eyes narrowed, zoning in on the blond who unknowingly stood protectively behind her. "Besides, you can't act all high and mighty. Looks like you've been sleeping with the enemy."

She gasped. "You know I wouldn't-"

"I don't care Hermione," he interrupted, shaking his head. "Lavender warned me you'd be off with someone if you were acting so defensive all the time."

" _I'm_ defensive-"

"I just never figured it'd be the ferret," he continued, speaking as though she hadn't. He shrugged one shoulder, looking superior for the first time. "You'll never know what you're missing by running off to him."

Her shoulders slumped, and for a moment he wondered if Weasley somehow got to her with that comment. For one terrifying moment he thought she'd give up, but then her head shot up and although her cheeks were wet with tears her voice rang through the hallway.

"You'll never know what you're missing either Ron," she said, her voice steady despite her trembling fingers. "And it doesn't matter, because you lost connection with me weeks ago. And somehow, you've convinced yourself that Lavender can save you better than I can." She shook her head, brown locks flying in the air. "I came to break up with you Ron. And if my decision wasn't positive before it most certainly is now.'

Ron scoffed, though Draco could see the disbelief in his eyes. Somewhere in the back of his mind he still thought his girlfriend would come crawling back. Didn't seem like that would be happening now.

"I knew you'd run off and sleep with him," Ron seethed, and Draco didn't concern himself with correcting the ginger. "I knew you'd end up faithless, you little-"

"That's enough Ron," she whispered weakly, her shoulders drooping. "You've already said enough. Just go."

She turned to Draco and pried Ron's wand from his fingers, tossing the wood back to him. She made no move to defend herself in case he attempted to attack, and Draco readied himself in case chaos broke out. But Ron didn't seem interested in battling them, not when she was emotionally charged and he was in a foul mood. The bloke turned and marched off down the corridor again, his haunting, jerking steps betraying his anger and surprise. It wasn't until he was out of sight that Hermione turned her back to the nearest wall and sank down, letting her wand clatter out of her fingertips onto the floor.

Draco turned and knelt beside her form just as she unraveled, the sudden horrific tears racking through her body. She sobbed into the emptiness of the corridor and he sat in front of her patting her knee, unsure what else to do. He didn't know how to help.

Glancing around, he knew they couldn't stay there. Curfew would break soon, and he had patrols tonight. He couldn't miss those. Shaking her knee gently he attempted to coax her into standing up.

"Granger," he whispered, clearing his throat when she didn't respond. "Hermione, we best get going. We don't want someone finding us."

"Wh-who's going to find us?" she asked, lifting her head from her wet hands. "You're going to check the halls! No one else will notice."

"This place isn't exactly traffic free," Draco sighed, raking his fingers through his fringe. Her head was in her hands again, and he couldn't seem to get her up. Deciding he had no better option working for him right now he moved to lift her up bridal-style, stopping only when she slapped him in the shoulder.

"I d-don't need your help," she whispered, snatching her wand up off the ground. She wiped her eyes, the drunken air about her slowly disappearing. "See? I'm fine. Let's go."

He didn't argue with her, too thankful that she'd stopped crying to argue with her stumbling steps. Sure, he was very proud of her for standing up to Weasley and dumping him, but now he had to ensure that they both remembered what happened tomorrow. They couldn't go back on things now; it'd be self-destructive for her.

She didn't have to push him away though. Walking behind her he watched the way her shoulders hunched forward into her frame, as though to protect herself from everything else around her. She had no reason to be protective now if she'd finally dumped Weasley. But she didn't look victorious; she looked pained.

Following her to the dorm was easy, much easier than following her to find Weasley. She wasn't overly ecstatic this time, hyped up on any ideas. He'd much rather she walk on her own than be carried back; it wouldn't help her to coddle her. Yet he didn't feel any better trudging along beside her than he would carrying her and cutting the time of the trip in half. Mostly, he was concerned. Why wasn't she happier?

By the time they reached the dorm he was certain she wouldn't speak again. Instead of going to her dorm to hide like he expected she sat down on the sofa again, fingering the lip of the bottle. Her eyes were wide, lost, staring into the distance before her without really seeing.

He sat opposite her on the sofa, watching time tick by on the clock. He still had a bit of time before he had to start patrols, just enough time to root through her brain before leaving.

He cleared his throat. "Granger-"

"Shut it Malfoy," she said, her voice quiet and lacking any of the venom from earlier. "I don't want to hear it."

Draco considered saying everything he wanted anyway, but held his tongue. He wasn't sure she'd even really listen. Instead he reached out and took the bottle out of her reach, grasping the glass in his hand as he poured her another drink. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"You can't get wasted all night," he reminded, finishing the drink for her. "It's Sunday. It's not going to help anyone if you're hung-over in the morning."

"I'm not going to be hung-over," she muttered, holding the glass between both hands. She didn't look sad exactly sitting there, just lost. She'd been close with Weasley for years. Severing their relationship also severed their friendship in a lot of ways. There was too much tension there for things to go back to normal. He might not be good for her, but she also wasn't ready to give up on that part of her life either. Just because he was troubled now didn't mean she wouldn't keep trying to help him get over his addiction.

Draco really wished she'd just leave him to his own devices.

He inclined his head to her, acknowledging what she said even as he grasped the bottle and took it away. Her eyes followed his form, watching him disappear into his room. He placed it inside a cabinet and locked it, doubting she'd really go digging through his room. If she did, that would tell him just how upset she was.

Coming back into the common room he found the drink left behind on the table, untouched and unappreciated. She sat with her legs draw up beneath her, one of the books from the side table resting on her knees. He arched an eyebrow, trying to recall the last time he'd seen her read for fun. She didn't look up when he entered the room and he didn't bother her. He'd rather he sat there and read than have her start crying because he mentions something. He was shit at comforting people anyway.

He was to the door before she said anything, his fingers resting on the knob when she finally spoke up. Her voice was quiet enough he missed it the first time, and spun around to stare at her prone figure on the sofa.

"What was that?"

Hermione cleared her throat, her tone stronger than before when she spoke again. "I just wanted to say thank you for coming with me." She blushed, the color staining her cheeks. "You didn't have to do that."

"And send you off to drunkenly argue with the Weasel?" he asked, crinkling his nose. "I think not."

She smiled a little, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Thank you anyway, Draco. It's nice having someone on my side."

Draco shrugged, eyeing her suspiciously. "I'm sure Potter and the she-Weasel will be on your side when they find out the truth."

"Only if they find it out from me," Hermione sighed, running a hand over her face. "Ron might try to spread lies tonight. There's nothing much I can do about it; I don't want to face him right now. It just depends in the morning what he's done to warp the truth."

He frowned, arching an eyebrow at her sad expression. Her friends weren't stupid. "They aren't gullible Granger, maybe a little slow but they won't just side with Weasley for no bloody reason."

She worried her lip a moment, contemplating something before she spoke. "Harry's been suspicious of his behavior, but Ginny's a wild card. She's been so gone lately." She shook her head, fingering the pages of the book again. "I can't do anything about it now; it's late. I can look at it in the morning."

Her eyes fell back to the book on her lap and she opened the pages randomly, searching for some sort of distraction. That sad, lonesome expression was back on her face again, and he wondered how she could let herself feel so lonely when Weasley caused her so much pain.

Fingers reaching back to the handle again he stalled, willing himself to just leave well enough alone and stop dragging her into conversation. But he couldn't help himself, and the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"Granger?" She looked up, one finger holding her place on the page. "You don't need to thank me."

Her head titled to the side, considering what he had to say. He met her eyes a moment, wondering if she would question him about it. He wasn't sure he could take that, didn't know if he even understood what he was doing. Instead he turned away from her again, throwing the door open before he had to try to explain what he meant.

He wasn't sure.

Hermione sat on the other side of the door, watching it bang shut again. She sat silently for a moment, thinking over Draco's words and all of his actions tonight. Leaning forward she brought the drink to her lips, thinking about all the times people mentioned she never drank. Tilting her head back, she was determined to prove them wrong.

She was never supposed to break up with Ron either. How times had changed.

 **A/n:** Now that Ron's out of the way, you'll see more Dramione moments soon enough. But don't worry, this won't turn into some sappy pathetic story. There will be more drama before the end. Let me know what you think; I haven't decided how I want the next chapter to go yet.


	9. Chapter 9

**Warnings:** Nothing to worry about this chapter.

Hermione stood at the end of the corridor, staring down at the students slowly entering first class. She avoided breakfast that morning, unsure how to face her friends. She needed a game plan, something she could say to rectify the lies Ron probably spread about her. But she didn't yet know what Harry and Ginny and everyone else was told, so she didn't know what to prepare for.

Malfoy was no help in preparing. He might've helped her last night but this morning he was a ghost in the common room, out the door as she was barely rising from bed. He seemed to be in a panic, the bathroom left a bit of a mess in his wake. She hoped to speak with him about last night, but that could wait until later. He had something better to do this morning.

Else he was avoiding her, and now that he cleared his conscious of her abuse he saw no reason to spend further time with her. It was a disheartening thought, but a possibility nonetheless.

She noticed Harry and Ginny slip into class, though Ron was nowhere to be seen. Now was her chance; if she waited too long he might show up, and that would only start an argument in the middle of first class. Instead of keeping his problems a secret everyone would suddenly know.

Then again, they were her secrets now too. She'd be exposed to everyone for letting Ron hurt and abuse her, and that wasn't any better. Taking a breath she hurried down the corridor, slipping into class while most of the students were still milling about.

Harry and Ginny sat at the back of class today, which was unheard of for the couple. The moment she walked in Ginny got up and threw her arms around the girl, burying her head into her shoulder. This was unexpected.

"Hermione," she whispered, clutching the other girl's robes, "I'm so sorry."

A little dazed it took a moment for her to realize what was going on, to take in the murderous look on Harry's face. His hands were clenched at his sides, brow creased as he watched them.

She cleared her throat again, attempting to sound less disoriented than she was. "Oh, um… that's okay. What exactly are you sorry for?"

Ginny lifted her head, cheeks stained with tears. It was surprising; Ginny hurt all the time, but she never cried. "For Malfoy of course. Merlin, why didn't you tell us?"

Her heart stilled, taking in the information. Of course Ron twisted the tale. "What do you mean?"

"We know he's been bloody hitting you," Harry snapped, his tone low, murderous. "I knew you spent too much time cooped up in there; you don't even go to the library anymore. And it explains why Ron could never get in there." He reached forward, smoothing down the shoulders of her robe. "Why didn't you tell us?"

" _What_?" she asked, disbelief coloring her features. How dare Ron flip the situation? Of course Harry and Ginny would believe that story; they'd never gotten along with him before. And it was the perfect way to divert from the truth. It just wasn't what she expected at all. "Did Ron tell you that?"

Harry frowned, removing his hands from her arms. "Of course. He said he saw you together last night. Did you not see him?"

 _Of course I saw him._ She fisted her hands, attempting to keep her calm as the news rolled over her. Harry and Ginny would believe that lie, but would they believe the truth?

Her eyes widened a little, thinking of the other possibilities to the problem.

"Did he tell anyone else?" she asked, clutching her hands together. Ginny misinterpreted the move as fear, and pat her hands for comfort. She wanted nothing more than to shove her away. How could they be so blind?

Harry's frown deepened, and he reached forward to comfort her but she stepped out of his grip, her eyes wide and alive. "I don't know Hermione but please, you don't need to be afraid of him. We're going to tell McGonagall today. We can go now if you want."

No, that was the very last thing she wanted. Scanning the classroom she looked for his familiar blond head. Would Ron have spilled the beans already? Would he really be so stupid as to tell a blatant lie to the Headmistress just to save his own arse? It was a foolish choice. But then Ron wasn't making great ones.

She momentarily wondered if this was Lavender's idea. That girl could be scheming for anything. But Ron was angry, probably angrier than she realized, and if he thought Draco was her crutch he'd try to knock it out immediately.

But where would his proof be on the matter?

"And you believed him?" she asked, continuing to look around. Where was he?

Ginny frowned, tilting her head. "Why wouldn't we believe him? He was so angry about the whole thing."

 _Of course he's angry_. "And where is he now?" she asked, her panic rising. She couldn't have this battle now, not in a classroom ten minutes before class. Ron set her up, and he did it very well.

"He was off with Seamus and Neville doing something," Harry replied, narrowing his eyes. He stuffed his hands into his pockets then, the same uncertain look coming across his features as it had the day before. Her heart clenched.

He looked exactly the same way when he mentioned Lavender yesterday. Maybe he wasn't off with Seamus and Neville at all. Silently she chided herself; she didn't need to be upset that Ron might be with Lavender. He made his choices, and she made hers.

Taking a step back from Harry and Ginny she looked at the clock. The minute hand was terribly close to time for class, and although she spotted Blaise and Theo across the way she couldn't find Malfoy anywhere. Her heartbeat picked up. Ron wouldn't report it already, would he?

"Hermione?" Harry asked, closing the space between them again. "It's okay, really. You don't need to be scared anymore. I'll never let Malfoy hurt you again."

Her eyes widened, and she wondered if Harry knew her at all. Even during the war, when was she ever afraid of Draco?

When was she ever afraid of _Ron_?

She backed away further, grabbing the strap of her bag. "I'm not afraid of Draco," she said, the use of his name seeming to cut into the both of them. "But you two should be worried about Ron."

She turned and hurried out of the classroom, her attention focused on the blond she shared a dorm with and not the two friends she was leaving behind so she could go searching for him.

Hermione only made it past one other classroom before someone caught her and spun her around, and she was surprised to see Harry there, his grip easy against her arm. His eyes were huge, confusion mixing through the blue orbs. She pulled her arm back and straightened, knowing there was an argument about to begin.

"Why should I be worried about Ron?" he asked, his eyes searching hers, searching for the answer he desperately needed.

"How could you believe him?" she countered, ignoring his question. "You believed him and you didn't even _ask_ me."

"It's completely believable!" he argued, eyebrows drawing together. "Hermione, you don't have to be ashamed-"

"I'm not ashamed!" she snapped, pausing to look at the ground. What happened to her game plan?

"Then what is it?"

Glancing down the hallway again, she hoped to see Draco rounding the corner. He still didn't appear. "Harry, it's complicated. I was hoping we could talk in private."

His eyes scanned the nearly empty hallway, looking for a better option. "Well, go ahead and talk then. Everyone's already in class."

She glanced behind him, expecting to find Ginny hiding in his shadow. "Where's-"

"I told her we'd be right back," he sighed, fingers grasping his short hair. "Are you going to explain what's going on Hermione, or are you going to keep ignoring me?"

She bit her lip, knowing now really wasn't the time. She needed to find Malfoy before he got dragged into the Headmistress's office. Maybe it wouldn't happen for days. Maybe it was happening now. She swallowed her nerves, bracing herself to stay and argue with Harry.

"Draco isn't abusing me Harry," she said, leveling her eyes with his. "Why would he bother?"

"There you go again," he muttered, eyes looking past hers. "Using his first name."

"He isn't as bad of a person as you think he is," she continued, shaking her head. "And you would know that if you actually asked me before believing everything Ron told you."

"Hermione-"

He stopped talking as someone rounded the corner, looking a little disheveled but otherwise fine. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring the way Harry's eyebrows shot up. Draco seemed to think stopping was futile, and made to wander past the pair without a backwards glance. She caught the edge of his robes, her eyes glaring into his so he couldn't ignore her as he spun around.

She leveled her shoulders, hoping he took every word in fully. "Harry thinks you've been abusing me."

For the first time in several weeks he looked positively surprised, and his light grey eyes glanced between the two Gryffindor's in front of him. She watched all the thoughts filter through his brain, praying Harry didn't lose it and speak up first.

Her wish was not granted. He snapped her arm away, Harry shifting between the pair to glare at Draco. "Hermione, you can't just admit it to him! Of course he'll lie."

Draco scoffed in return, shaking his head. "I take it you spoke to Weasley first then. Pity."

"Of course I spoke to Ron first," Harry replied, drawing his wand. "And if you dare come near her-"

" _Harry_ ," she snapped, shoving his wand away from the blond. "I told you he isn't the one abusing me."

Stumped, Harry dropped his wand and looked between the two, blue eyes burning. "No, you said he _wasn't_ abusing you. Are you trying to tell me someone else is?"

"Of course she is," Draco replied, scowling. "What is it with you Gryffindors? Are all of you this bloody dense?"

"Draco," she warned, shaking her head at him. She really didn't need another argument. If Harry was willing to listen, even a little, then she was doing better. "Harry, we can't talk about this here. What if someone overhears us?"

He looked skeptical, but didn't argue with her. Harry, dense as he was, could be much more reasonable than Ron even on a good day. He knew it was dangerous to discuss anything serious in an unsafe environment. Grasping his arm she dragged him down the hallway, slipping into one of the empty classrooms. Thankfully, Draco followed without needing to be prompted. Maybe if they both tried to reason with Harry he could keep Ron from doing anything else stupid.

Maybe he would think they were ganging up on him and he'd run to McGonagall faster thinking Malfoy brainwashed her.

"Okay, one of you better start explaining," Harry snapped, throwing the door shut. "Now."

"Draco isn't abusing me Harry," she began, ignoring the way he almost flinched at her casual use of his name. "He's been… helping me."

"How?" Harry snapped, and she could hear the anger again in his voice. He knew she was keeping some sort of secret from him, and she felt the pounds of worry rising throughout her body, those deep blue eyes seeming to tear her secrets right out of her.

"Ron hasn't been himself," she tried again, rubbing the back of her head. She cleared her throat, grasping the brunette locks momentarily to stop her hands from shaking. "He's been… different."

"What do you mean?"

She frowned, placing both hands on her hips. Fine, if he didn't want to listen, she would make him. "You know very well what I mean Harry James Potter! We discussed it before."

"You mean in the Great Hall yesterday?" he asked, eyebrows shooting up. "You said it yourself; he was acting weird because he had a bit to drink."

Draco scoffed. "A bit?"

Hermione turned and glared at him, willing the git to be quiet. Couldn't he say something useful if he bothered to interrupt? "Harry, it's more than just drinking. Ron hasn't been himself… not for a while."

"Well, yeah," Harry agreed, going along with the conversation. "He's been grieving-"

"And taking it out on his ex-girlfriend," Draco muttered, interrupting him once more. Hermione's eyes widened as she spun to stare at him, wondering why he couldn't have an ounce of empathy within him to understand how sensitive of a subject this really was. Didn't he know that his lack of subtly wouldn't help the situation?

"What are you going on about, Ferret?" Harry asked, more venom in his voice than she had heard in a long time. He hadn't sounded so angry since the war, and even then it was an ager driven by pain. "Hermione, what is he talking about?"

"Merlin, you are daft," he drawled, falling into the nearest chair. "You're telling me you honestly didn't notice how afraid she's been?"

"Of you!"

"Not of me," he replied, sounding disappointed in the answer. "Of Weasley. You can't tell me you didn't notice how uncomfortable and worried she is all the time."

Harry stalled a moment, glancing between the pair. He didn't seem to want to believe it, but his eyes danced between them more than once as he took in Malfoy's words. Something seemed to click in his mind, and his shoulders slouched as he focused on Hermione.

"You're not afraid of him," he said quietly, his voice heavy with realization. He reached behind him to grasp the edge of a desk, leaning there as his eyes moved away, taking in the dark corners of the room instead of the two students beside him.

"Of course I'm not Harry," she agreed, breathing a sigh of relief. He was starting to understand, and that was both empowering and terrifying. More people were learning about her issues. "Draco hasn't done anything to me."

He nodded slowly, seeming to pick apart the information. His hand tightened on the desk until his knuckles turned white, glowing in the dark. "But… you're saying Ron has?"

Hermione nodded back, stepping away until her lower back hit the opposite desk behind her. She sank down against it until her bum hit the floor, staring between two sets of feet. "I… didn't know how to tell you."

For a moment she thought Harry might yell at her, tell her she's a liar and get into it with Malfoy. Instead he moved to sink onto the floor beside her, reaching out to grasp one hand to grasp her own.

"If Ron's been hurting you, then why didn't you say anything?" he asked his voice so quiet she almost didn't realize he was talking.

Her hand moved for a moment before she could help herself, shifting to the spot on her neck where Ron kicked her Saturday night, just over a day ago. She could remove the healing spell Malfoy placed there and show Harry the fading bruise, but there was really no way to prove that was all Ron's fault. For all Harry knew Draco caused the mark to be there. That wasn't proof.

"You have Ginny to worry about," she said eventually, turning to look at him. "Ron was my responsibility."

"No one is anyone's responsibility," Harry argued, arching an eyebrow at her. "At all. You could've told me Ron was struggling. He did so well hiding it." He shook his head. "Why would Ron even want to hit you?"

Hermione could hear the apprehension in his voice. Whatever she told him next he already didn't want to believe. She didn't always believe it, wondering how Ron fell into decline so fast, taking the highway with drugs instead of trying to grieve like everyone else. Before she could stop herself the words spilled out, and by the end she found herself crying. For the most part Harry sat quietly, eyes occasionally flickering between her and Malfoy. When she finished he didn't speak for a long time.

She exchanged a glance with Draco, who still sat on the same chair as before. His grey eyes were clouded now, something brooding beneath the surface. At least if Harry rejected her she had him there. Someone was on her side either way.

Someone's arms slid around her, and she turned to find Harry hugging her tight against him. She buried her head into his shoulder, relishing having him so close. They'd kept a distance for weeks now, dealing with their own problems separately instead of leaning on one another. It felt amazing to have him there hugging her, not judging her for what she'd told him. She'd been certain he wouldn't believe her and would push her far away from him.

When he did release her his eyes were dark like Draco's, and he recognized the same angry expression mirrored there. But Harry's expression was twinged in pain as he tried to come to terms with what she told him. He helped her to her feet, stepping away to lean back against a different desk, his eyes looking off somewhere in the distance. He wouldn't focus on either of them.

Hermione turned and stared at Draco, wondering why he didn't interrupt while she told her story. He was watching her again, grey eyes seeming to look straight through her. He didn't interrupt, even when she injected him into the story and mentioned that he helped her. She expected something then, even a snappy remark. But he stayed silent, and it was so unlike him she didn't know what to do.

"We need to find Ron," she said, addressing him in the silence. "He's mad at us – at me. And he knows the best way to get at me is to take down all my guards. He could be lying to McGonagall now-"

"I doubt that Granger," Draco interrupted, eyes meeting hers. "I saw him heading off with Brown earlier. I'm late because I was busy following him. He's not going to tell McGonagall, not yet." He inclined his head towards Harry, who was watching him intently. "He'd rather have people on his side."

Hermione pressed her lips together, taking in his unruly appearance again. Did he do more than follow? There was no concrete way to know right now, and she didn't want to drag up that concern now.

"Well I'm not on his side," Harry said, speaking from the dark of the classroom. He stepped forward beside her, squeezing her shoulder gently. Thankfully for her he squeezed the shoulder that didn't hurt. Pain still lingered in the muscle sometimes, and she didn't imagine his reaction would go over well if she suddenly flinched away. "I'm sorry I didn't help you sooner."

She chuckled, so thankful that he didn't hate her that she couldn't keep down her smile. "How could you have? You didn't know and I didn't say anything."

Harry glanced to the side, meeting Malfoy's eyes. "But he did. I guess I should thank you then Malfoy, for at least helping her when I couldn't."

"And you believe her, just like that? With all the fuss she made, I thought you'd call our bluff by now." Draco shook his head, eyes glaring a hole right through Harry's head, daring him to argue back.

He frowned, and even behind his glasses she could see the annoyance blooming in his eyes. "Hermione doesn't lie. I haven't known her for eight years to mistake her for being a liar now. Ron, unfortunately, has a history of it." He shook his head, gazing down towards the floor. "You kept going along with those lies Hermione, I just assumed…"

"You don't need to be sorry Harry," she soothed, reaching up to wrap her arms around him. "Really. Just the fact that you believed me means so much."

He returned the hug, but his movements were forced and gentle, like he thought she'd break apart against him. If he knew her well enough to reason that she didn't lie, he should also know she's more durable than that. Even Draco picked up on his hesitation, and she could hear him scoffing to her left.

"You know she's not made of glass Potter. If you're going to bother hugging her you may as well do a decent job at it."

Harry gave her a squeeze, as though testing that she didn't shatter. When he was satisfied he let go and met her eyes, the fire behind his almost alarming. "I take it you haven't told Ginny."

"Everything's happened very quickly recently," she admitted, letting go of him. "You're the first person I told – don't give me that look. He found us in the corridors one night."

Harry's eyes flashed, and she could see the anger bubbling beneath the surface again. He barely glanced at Draco, taking her shoulders gently in his hands as he braved his next question. "Hermione… I mean, did he ever-"

"Ron's only hit me a few times," she defended, thankful she kept her summary of her injuries simple when she told him her tale. Whatever his question bordered on, she felt it was much more than what really happened. "Really."

"Don't let her lie to you," Draco cut in, and she was reminded that lying wouldn't work while he was there. He already knew the truths behind her lies. "He's bruised her ribs before, maybe broke it." He shrugged. "It's not like she ever let me see. He's gone around kicking her too."

His gaze hardened, and Harry directed his attention to her again. One hand was in his pocket, fisted around the wand he was withdrawing. "You should've told me sooner. And the drugs – Merlin Hermione! No wonder's he's so gone lately. We have to get him the proper help. I know you mean well, but the best option for him is rehab. You know that."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she did know that, but she didn't want to send Ron away someplace. She wanted him to stay in school and get better with the people he cared about. Besides, she couldn't stand to see him go yet.

"One problem at a time Harry," she said softly, laying one hand over his. "Ginny doesn't know yet, and none of the Weasley's have any idea. Like I said, Ron had me keep it a secret over the summer. He thought I could help him."

"So what? You want to break the news to everyone and have an intervention?" Harry asked, shaking his head. "Maybe we can tell Ginny, and even Molly and Arthur, but you told me he's been buying from the caravans by Hogsmeade. He has access a lot. The sooner he can get help and get pulled off, the better. And having those caravans is now not only disruptive but dangerous to students here too. We can tell the others, fine, but McGonagall needs to hear about it soon too. No wasting time."

She nodded, glancing between the two men before her. There was no chance they would relent sending Ron off someplace to be healed, and although that was best she couldn't stomach the idea. Numbly she nodded her head, hoping they didn't notice her hesitation. She didn't want to send Ron away, not yet.

* * *

The rest of the day passed in a blur. She got away with their disappearance in first class, blaming it on something the heads had to attend to, and she needed Harry's input. A lame excuse, but the teacher bought it just because she was the one to tell the lie. And Harry said she wasn't a liar.

She shifted through her classes, avoiding Ron as much as she could. He popped up during their next class, looking murderous and moody. Lavender didn't sit beside him surprisingly; she expected they were trying to keep up appearances for now. Harry sat beside her in every class he could, to both avoid suspicion of Malfoy sitting with her and to make sure Ron couldn't.

By the last class her luck ran out, and Ron slipped in beside her. This was the only period she did not share with Harry or Draco, and although she usually didn't mind sharing a desk with Ron today she couldn't imagine anything worse. Glancing around the classroom she looked hopefully for someone else she could sit with, but all the other desks were already full. She sat down, dragging her chair away from him.

"You've been avoiding me," he said, his hands shaking a little as he clenched them beneath the desk. Signs of withdrawal; he'd been off the drug last night when they argued. Today it was showing. "I don't appreciate that Hermione."

"We aren't dating anymore," she said, speaking low enough that anyone else couldn't hear them. Ignoring the way her heart twisted she attempted to keep conversation going. She didn't want to draw more attention to them. "I can avoid you all I want."

"No, you can't." He frowned, reaching across the space between them to grip her thigh, the pressure of his hand surprising and alarming. He didn't usually bother her when they were in class; that could become a mess. She pushed his hand off, ignoring the way his nails scraped against the skin of her thigh.

"Leave me alone Ron," she whispered breathlessly as the lesson began. "We're not dating anymore, remember? You spread that nasty rumor about Draco beating me."

He waved his hand as though he could make her words disappear, scooting his chair closer to her side of the desk. He grasped her leg again beneath the desk again, the nails digging in this time instead of resting against her. She glanced around to see if Lavender was there, distracting and jealous as she usually was, but of course she didn't share this class with them either. "I need you again. We need to go back to Hogsmeade."

"I'm not going anywhere with you Ron," she whispered. "And I'm certainly not going to Hogsmeade with you again."

"But Hermione-"

"No Ron," she hissed, dragging his hand off of her. His nails dragged across her skin, and she ignored the angry red lines that appeared. It hurt her more than it should to push him away, but she had to do it. Otherwise he'd take advantage again. He thought he could use pain and guilt to make her do what he wanted, but she couldn't let it happen. He'd drag her down.

He didn't speak again throughout class. He didn't move his chair back either. By the time she escaped her last class she felt claustrophobic and wanted nothing more than to sink into the sofa in her dorm and forget the last three days. But there was still the matter of Ginny, and they would have to address her lack of knowledge soon. She deserved to know.

Ron stopped her down the hall, his fingers digging into the skin of her shoulder. She didn't need to turn to know it was him, but the desire to shove him away was strong and she whirled around, slapping his hand off her.

"I told you I'm not going anywhere with you Ron. I'm tired of trying to make you understand that. If you need more of the bloody drug, make Lavender take you. At least she'll enjoy the trip."

"She won't pay," he snarled, his nails dragging across opposite arms, scratching furiously at the skin there. "She has plans, she won't cancel them either. She won't give me any money to go by myself."

"Then maybe you shouldn't go," Hermione snapped, steeling herself. The hallway was crowded enough still that he could do absolutely nothing to her. "Don't you think it's a sign? Look at yourself – you're tearing up your arms! It's doing more harm to you than good."

His eyes narrowed and he stepped closer to her, the butts of his nails digging into his skin until little crescents of blood surfaced. "What would you know anyway? You never wanted to try."

"I never wanted to take anything so terrible for myself," she agreed, standing as tall as she could. "I would never want to take anything like it, ever. And you'll be so much better when you're clean."

His eyes widened a moment as he took in her words, and then he stumbled away from her, fire lit behind his dark eyes. "You were always so rigid! If you just gave it a chance-"

"I'll never give it a chance," she whispered, cutting through his rant with the soft words. She turned from him, her eyes beginning to water. She needed to find Draco, find Harry, and go to the Headmistress before Ron deteriorated anymore. Perhaps there wasn't time enough to wait and tell Ginny first. She wouldn't let him see her crumble, not in the feral state he now lived in. "Go back to the common room Ron. You should eat, rest. It'll all get better soon."

She stood rigidly, waiting for his retaliation that never came. Instead his shoes slapped loudly against the stone floors as he turned and raced the opposite direction. Hermione spared a glance over her shoulder, watching his jerky movements disappear into the shadows. The tears she suppressed now tumbled down her cheeks, leaving soft wet trails in their wake.

She never imagined her first conversation with Ron after their break up would go quite so terribly. Hopefully he wouldn't do anything too stupid before she reported him.

Straightening her stance, she turned and marched down the hallway, ignoring the way people snuck glances at her. Maybe they overheard her conversation, maybe not. They most certainly noticed the parts at the end. If anyone wondered if they broke up, the confusion was now scattered. That incident would serve as enough of an explanation, at least for now.

She let the tears tumble down her cheeks, let the others believe it was all due to a broken heart and not a broken spirit. It was all for show; soon, she'd have much more to cry about.

 **A/n:** Don't worry, there will still be conflicts in the midst. And Dramione moments will develop and become a lot heavier in the upcoming chapters; I just needed to have this happen first. Let me know your thoughts!


	10. Chapter 10

**Warnings: Not too much to warn against this time.**

"We will contact the Weasley's immediately."

Draco didn't react when McGonagall spoke, his eyes sweeping the trio in front of him instead. Weaselette sat directly beside Hermione, head bowed as she listened quietly in her seat. She lacked any kick these days, as though all hope had been dashed from her. He at least expected a fight, much more than what she actually gave. Thinking back he tried to find the same fire in her from before. Even when Granger broke down and told her the news, she lacked the anger he was so accustomed to.

" _Ron wouldn't do that! Not to you, not to us! He knows!" She fell forward, Potter catching her from behind before she could hit the ground. "He knows what it will do to mum and dad!"_

 _Hermione crouched down beside her, one hand ghosting over Ginny's trembling fingers. "I don't think Ron knows much of anything anymore."_

She did more crying than arguing. Given that this was her flesh and blood Granger was destroying, he thought she might be angrier. Maybe she knew all along, or maybe she just no longer had the energy to fight her demons.

Potter reached forward, gripping the back of her seat with one hand. He looked white-washed, his skin so much paler than usual. He looked sickly and worn thin, like he did in the weeks leading to war. Now it hinged on his best friend, someone he put his trust into for years, and his ultimate undoing.

"We will have your parents come to the school Ms. Weasley," the Headmistress continued more gently, patting the girl's placid hands on her desk. "This is a matter to be addressed only in person." Her eyes wavered, glancing between the three other individuals in her office. "The Ministry will not miss it when Mr. Weasley is asked to leave Hogwarts. Under these circumstances, he is better off in a rehabilitation facility than in a classroom without restraint. You will all need to be here to testify against the allocations of Ms. Granger. I do not think that Arthur and Molly will take the news lightly."

"Thank you Headmistress," Hermione muttered, her voice no more than a whisper. Ever since she told McGonagall her story, she'd grown very quiet. Weaselette was one thing, but this took something else out of her. Her lips quivered, and she seemed to be on the verge of saying something else, but she pressed them into a thin line instead and remained silent.

"I will let Mr. and Mrs. Weasley know effective immediately that we need an audience with them here at Hogwarts," she continued, looking towards each of them in turn. "You will not breathe a word of this to the other students. What Mr. Weasley has done since the war is inexcusable, but he did serve in the war and he is a hero. There's no need to drag him through the dirt. His actions will do that on their own."

The ginger flinched, and Draco watched Potter place a protective hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. McGonagall seemed unraveled by the news, and he could see it tearing her apart at the seams. This was yet another thing to add to her endless list of issues, and it was wearing her down. Her crass attitude more than exemplified that.

The Headmistress said something he missed, and Weasley was out of her chair before she finished speaking. Potter followed in her wake as she left, concerned eyes flinting between his girlfriend and Granger. The latter waved him off, casting him an unconvincing smile. As she rose, McGonagall cleared her throat.

"Ms. Granger, another moment please?"

Draco paused, halfway to the door. He'd remained quiet throughout this exchange, and although she didn't address him he didn't feel prompted to leave either. As she sat back down Minerva sighed, gesturing to his lean form.

"You too Mr. Malfoy."

Taking the seat Weasley abandoned, he settled into the first chair he'd been offered since arriving. McGonagall glanced between the pair, her expression torn.

"I did not wish to disclose this while Ms. Weasley was present," she began, sitting back heavily in her seat, "though I expect she already knows, or at the very least suspects. With the allocations you've mentioned regarding Mr. Weasley-"

"Ron," Hermione broke in, her hands tightening on the desk. Throughout the conversation she'd kept her cool, but now she seemed to be breaking. "Just Ron Headmistress, please. He's just Ron, even now."

"Ron then. Because of what you've told me about what's going on, the Ministry may become involved once word spreads. I care for him you see, but I cannot allow him to stay on school grounds after he's harmed another student, and while he remains a danger to others. I wonder now if some of the other troubled souls have found their way to the caravans as well."

Hermione snuck a glance his direction, but he ignored it. There was no way he'd bring anything up.

"Speaking of, that will also cause a problem with Hogsmeade visitation. I cannot allow students to meander there when something so tempting and troubling lies within their reach."

"And what of the of age students?" he cut in, arching an eyebrow.

"They still go to this school Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said, her tone unamused. "If they intend to keep it that way they will follow the enforced laws until the caravans and their products are out of Hogsmeade. We've never had such a problem before, and certainly not one so pronounced. Visitation will be prohibited until further notice. As Heads, I expect you to enforce this rule."

Draco felt his lip twitch, but he kept his cool. He couldn't rightly tell the Headmistress that's where he got his good gin during the school year.

"You'll make an announcement then?" Hermione asked dully, and his heart hurt from the detachment in her voice. She was so broken moments ago, and now she was steeling herself against the hurt and putting on a professional front. She didn't need to do that. McGonagall seemed to pick up on her unease and leaned forward as well.

"How are you doing dear?" she asked, her expression softening. "I wanted to ask M- Ginny and Harry, but she seemed to be in quite a rush to leave. This must be heartbreaking for her, just as I expect it is for all of you." Her eyes glanced in his direction, as though she knew the outlier in this matter.

"I'll recover," she said simply, and McGonagall seemed surprised by her sudden coldness. "There's nothing much to be done now. We're going to have to repeat the story again under the truth serum if the Ministry is involved, and knowing Molly she'll want it testified. She'll side with her son before she sides with me."

Minerva's gaze grew sympathetic, the lines in her face softening. "There are people on both sides of this battle. It's hard to accept that someone you care about has a problem. You did the right thing by telling me. The issue will be addressed immediately. I cannot have M- Ron wandering the halls if this is how his behavior is now. I'll be handling it tonight."

Hermione nodded, her gaze vacant as McGonagall told her a few more tedious tidbits. Draco zoned out, bored again by the conversation. He was here mostly for moral support and to verify Hermione's accounts. The headmistress didn't seem terribly interested in speaking with him.

He followed Hermione out shortly after, his mind muddy as he watched her head bob ahead of him, her rushed movements carrying her down the hallway. He'd barely entered the corridor, wondering what the hell he should tell Theo, when a hand fell upon his shoulder. Glancing back, he saw McGonagall's patient face close to his.

"You should've told me when you first found out Mr. Malfoy," she said, her eyes glaring down the hallway towards her retreating form. "I'm disappointed you did not step forward."

Draco shrugged, letting her emotions roll right off him. He didn't much care what she thought, not when she was his teacher and not now. "It's her war. I found out by accident. You should be happy I know anything at all. She might not have spoken up otherwise, and Weasley would keep killing himself."

"Be that as it may," Minerva spat, shaking her head at him, "You should've told me from the start. The emotional damage left behind will long outlive the physical. The more time she spent in Mr. Weasley's influence, and the longer he was able to keep getting high, the more drawn out the after effects will be."

"I understand-"

"You should take this to heart," she continued, nodding her head. "Mr. Nott will have similar difficulties when the truth comes to light."

His mouth dried at that, the surprise that she knew anything about Theo slamming into him as the biggest surprise of the day. It'd been three days since Granger started revealing the truth of her situation, and now everything came together when she admitted it to the Headmistress. To be honest he hadn't thought much of his friend in the past days, so focused on her own turmoil's that he left Blaise to watch their friend. Maybe he should've cared more.

"And your father says hello," she continued, no malice in her voice. He expected more retorts about Theo, his condition similar to Weasley's in too many ways. But instead she bowed her head and set her gave upon – was that a look of _pity? –_ just before she turned back towards her office.

He watched her go, wondering how she knew about Theo. And more worryingly, what his father could possibly want.

* * *

 _Bruises. There are always bruises._

 _He balled his hands up, looking at the girl in front of him. Bleeding, broken. How the hell did things get so far?_

 _The ground reflected like a mirror, and even with her head bowed he could see the bruises beneath her eyes. Fuck, how long at those been there?_

 _He twitched, his distance remaining as he watched another figure appear. Ginger. This had to be Weasley._

 _Draco attempted to step forward, but his limps wouldn't go. He couldn't make anything move actually. He watched from afar, his world blurring as the brute raised his hand, striking out at the girl in front of him. He'd recognized her long ago._

 _Weasley stepped back when she crumbled, his leg jutting out to attack the tender skin of her sides, the sound of bone breaking –_

Draco jerked awake in his bed, tossing whatever he'd set on the edge earlier that night onto the floor. Bloody hell, since when did he get nightmares about her? This was never a problem before.

He collapsed on the sheets, cringing at the wet sensation beneath his skin. Apparently he was troubled enough to sweat too. What, he speaks with McGonagall and suddenly he feels guilty for not doing more for her? Since when did he care so much?

Theo buzzed through his mind, and he swore and rolled over. One ridiculous problem at a time.

He buried his head into the pillow, willing himself back to sleep. He was starting to fade when something woke him, the sound of a door cracking open. He flipped over and shot awake again, reaching for his wand. In one quick breath the room was lit.

Granger stared back at him, clad in her nightclothes – which appeared just as sticky as his own. She was crouched in front of a cabinet, caught in the act as she withdrew a bottle. Maybe he should be mad, but given the situation he couldn't quite muster up any anger.

"You're searching my liquor cabinet?"

"I believe this one is gin," she croaked, straightening quickly. She didn't drop the bottle, instead fisting the neck tight in her hands. "I thought you'd notice me the first time you woke."

 _Crap._ She was there moments ago? How long was he really lying on his stomach anyway? It was strange that he hadn't noticed his bedroom door opening, and stranger still that she just invited herself in to go crawling through his cabinet. How did she even know which one?

Apparently, more of his surprise shone on his face than he expected, and she hopped nervously from foot to foot as she responded. "Your doors locked, good spell too. You should probably apply the same one to the bathroom door."

Of course, the cabinet was a few short steps from the bathroom. "And you just invited yourself in and looked around?"

"I saw it before," she admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head in the dim light. "I came over once and shut the door when Ron was in my room. I thought it'd just make things worse if he came crawling through here; he was mad enough that day. The cabinet was open at the time."

Draco turned and flipped his wand, lighting the room properly. Now he could see the tear tracks on her cheeks, the redness of her eyes. She wore surprisingly short shorts to sleep, and he wondered if it made her uncomfortable now having him so close.

Why did he care?

"You've been crying," he said instead, hoping to throw as much attention off himself as possible. If she noticed the dampness of his sheets she'd begin wondering, and that's the last thing he needed.

Hermione brushed at her cheeks, unable to look away from him. "Yes well, sometimes that happens."

"Not Weasley again?"

She chuckled, but it came out as more of a croak. Her other hand moved to grip the neck of the bottle, holding on for dear life. "You know it is."

He sighed and leaned back in his bed, tossing his wand away from him. "You've got to stop feeling bad about it."

"I'm trying to," she muttered, indicating to the bottle. He shook his head, disappointment echoing through his head.

"And you think the best way to cope is drinking alone?"

She smiled at him, a shy little look as she glanced away from him towards the opposite corner. "I… I don't usually. I don't drink at all really."

"I don't believe that," he scoffed, shaking his head. "You've had more to drink the past two weeks than you seem to for the last two years."

"That's true."

He nodded her over, wondering if his head fell off when he woke up. He reached for two glasses on the lower half of his table, setting them neatly on the top as she appeared beside him. He filled them to the brim, shoving one into her hand before she could protest.

"You shouldn't form a habit Granger," he said, smirking when she crinkled her nose. "You'll get hooked."

"I will not," she protested, lifting her nose. "I can't let myself."

He frowned, the sadness in her voice overwhelming everything else. She sat tentatively on the edge of his bed, and he forced his eyebrows to remain where they were. Looking surprised couldn't make things better right now, maybe just more awkward. She was so hesitant to sit down, and he'd really hate to chase her off.

"What time is it?" he grunted, searching out his clock.

"Just past two," she muttered, gripping her glass tightly. "I couldn't… sleep."

Despite himself Draco narrowed his eyes, taking a large swig of his drink. It burned going down and he welcomed the distraction. "Nightmares?"

"Would explain the tears wouldn't it?" she asked, forcing a smile. She tipped the drink back, gagged at the taste, and handed it back.

"Strong?"

She nodded, making a face. "Absolute shite."

He laughed, setting aside his own. "You get used to it."

"Does that mean I'm going to end up a drinking idiot like you?" she asked teasingly, shifting slightly further onto the mattress.

" _I'm_ an idiot Granger? Do you even remember yourself when you're drunk?"

"It's bloody pathetic," she muttered, dropping her gaze. "All that bloody skipping."

"You only skipped once," he recalled, "and it was to the couch to drop. I'm surprised you remembered that detail. I was referring to all the insistent talking. What was my favorite? Something about whiny-"

She covered her ears, cheeks burning red at the memory. "Don't remind me."

"You're kind of adorable when you drink," he continued, watching the blush seep down her neck and into her chest, the embarrassment growing. "Mindless and adorable."

"I'm not _mindless_!"

"Hmm," he said, inspecting her, "I suppose you aren't. It did help you to tell Weasley off, so I suppose I can let you off on that one."

She laughed, and for a moment she looked like a younger version of herself, younger and not so weighed down by everything in life. Then she seemed to catch herself and the happiness disappeared, suffocated again by her sadness. She played with his blanket, unable to meet his eyes.

"Molly and Arthur come tomorrow," she muttered, shaking her head. "McGonagall sent me an owl about it. She let them know it's an emergency. Ron doesn't know yet, but he'll throw a fit."

"He always throws a fit Granger."

"But his parents are coming," she stressed, wringing her hands. "Ginny is beside herself. She's so upset about everything and it's crushing her. And if Ron gets wind of it beforehand he'll absolutely flip."

"You just told me it's two in the morning. I doubt he'll hear about it before the meeting, especially if Weaselette keeps her mouth shut. She's the only one likely to blab anything anyway."

"Still, if he hears-"

"If he hears there isn't much he can do about it," Draco argued, pinching the brink of his nose. "He can't get back at you now that people know. And he certainly can't get you alone. You're schedule is booked tomorrow morning with classes; he won't have a chance to catch you alone."

She didn't relax as he hoped, and instead she hopped off the bed and straightened her back. "I'm not scared of Ron."

"The tremble in your voice says otherwise."

She pressed her lips together, something resting on the tip of her tongue. He wished she'd just come out and say whatever was bothering her, but she kept holding back. Reaching for her drink she retreated back to the bathroom door, staring into the liquid.

"We have block classes tomorrow. I'll have classes with you until lunch."

"Yes."

"The meetings a quarter 'til eleven. Right towards the end of fourth class." She shifted uncomfortably, her eyes searching out the details of his room. "I was asked to not attend. McGonagall changed her mind. Having me there, Molly will flip-"

"She's going to lose it on her son," he corrected, narrowing his eyes. "I'm sure she's sensible enough for a Weasley. She's sure to see the truth in the matter."

"I don't think she will," Hermione sighed, brushing at her tangled hair. "She's broken these days, not so much as Ginny, but broken enough. There's no telling how she'll react. Arthur, he can be reasoned with, and he's in a much more sensible headspace than Ron's mum." She shook her head again, wavering on her feet. "I just don't know."

"Worrying about it in the dead of night won't change a bloody thing," he grunted, taking a sip form his glass. "And drinking at this hour won't help things either."

"Aren't you drinking?"

He waved a hand. "That's a different matter. No matter what you do you're going to be tense Hermione. You may as well accept that for the night. You won't get a wink of sleep worrying this way."

"I can't sleep," she admitted, turning her eyes back to his again. They were watering, and he cursed himself for not noticing before the waterworks began. "Molly is going to blame me Draco, I know it. If I-I had succeeded curbing the addiction, that's one thing. But I didn't. All my placebo's only worked for so long and when I got weighed down by time I couldn't keep producing them to keep up with his intake. When I couldn't handle that, she's going to demand to know why I didn't cave and mention things before they got so far out of hand. If I just mentioned it earlier-"

"Her-"

"But I can't take it back and I can't make it better either!" She fell forward, landing directly beside him on the bed and nearly sending his drink across the mattress. He set it down, barely managing to straighten himself out before he found her leaning against him, her hands resting tight against her eyes while she sobbed, head pressed into his naked chest. He froze, observing her but not moving a muscle.

She shook when she cried, making her whole body sway. Reaching back he rested a hand against the small of her back before she could topple off the bed. She was muttering something between the sobs, but she was so loud and tearful he couldn't make out a word of what she was saying.

Bloody hell. He'd been in situations before where she cried. He was shit at comforting her. But now she was leaning into him, seeking comfort from him he wasn't completely sure he could provide.

His other arm wound its way around her back, holding her tight against his body. Her legs somehow found their way up on the bed too and she tucked herself below his chin, sobbing for everything she couldn't control, from Ron's mother to his addiction to every minute detail.

Draco didn't say a word. There wasn't anything he could say in this situation that may not turn out to be a lie. And she'd dealt with enough lies from Weasley.

He couldn't quite register when, time seemed to be dragging along. At some point her sobs softened and turned into quiet cries, until there was nothing left to cry about and she resorted to shaking in his arms, drawing on whatever strength she could.

"Thank you," she whispered, drawing him out of a daze. He'd been so focused on trying to help her, and trying to not make everything worse by saying something stupid, that he'd lost track of pretty much everything. He glanced down at her, unsurprised to find her face turned up to his, reddened eyes seeking his out. He hadn't even noticed he was rocking her.

"You don't get to thank me," he said, drawing back from her so her neck didn't break. "There's no reason to. You're doing it all yourself Granger; I'm just here to help."

She laughed softly, closing her eyes as she leaned her forehead against his. He followed suit, relishing in how calm she'd become in his grasp. "Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Calling me Granger Draco," she whispered, her hands shifting from in front of her to his shoulders, clinging there far too tightly. "I know the first time it happened it was sudden, but I hate hearing you say that anymore. You've seen far too much of me to remain on a last name basis."

He smirked, his fingers subconsciously trailing up and down her back. "Whatever you want Hermione."

"See?" she breathed, her grip on him relaxing, "that's much better."

"It sounds much better."

She relaxed in his hold, sinking closer to his form, her head pressing harder against his. Draco's eyes blinked open, taking her in. She hadn't dared to get so close before, even when she was drunk and beside herself. This was new, foreign and dangerous. He really shouldn't be getting so close to her when she was in such a vulnerable state.

When did he start caring so much about that?

Her eyes opened then, seeming to take in their close proximity for the first time. Her fingers tightened up on his shoulders again, her breath ghosting across his lips. Bloody hell, all he needed to do was lean an inch or so closer –

Something thudded loud and hard against the door outside the common room and they jerked away like school children caught by a teacher. She nearly fell off the bed, tangling once in his loose blanket before detaching herself to stand upright, the blush on her cheeks more profound than the redness of her eyes.

Draco followed her, alert instantly that something was wrong. Nothing should be thudding in the halls at nearly three in the morning, least of all on their door. He grabbed his wand and stomped to the door, opening it with a flick of his wrist. She followed directly behind him through the common room, staying level with him as he reached the door. She didn't even look frightened.

And she had a wand. Where was she hiding _that_ in those shorts?

They paused together at the door, listening for anything else. She'd beaten him by a step, her fingers around the knob holding fast. He frowned, reaching to push her away.

"Hermione-"

"I'm not going to hide behind you," she whispered, glancing up to meet his eyes. "It's the middle of the morning. We both know only one person is going to be bothering us at this hour. And I'm not going to let him see me cowering behind you Draco."

"Why would he even be here?"

She shrugged. "Ginny tattled, or perhaps Molly sent him a Howler about the meeting tomorrow. Who knows? But there's no one else who's going to cause a ruckus in the hallway here at this hour except Ron. And while I may cry for him, I'm not going to bow for him either."

Draco's eyebrows shot up, surprised so much venom could reside inside her when minutes ago she was sobbing on his bed. She shoved off his hand, swiveling out of his reach when he tried to stop her, and threw open the door.

There was no one in the hallway, even as she stepped out in front of him and searched both directions, her hair flying wildly around her head. No sign of a ginger anywhere.

Draco followed her out of the room, searching around as well. His eyes fell on something just outside the door, something she hopped over in her mad search to find the Weasel. He picked it up, the heavy volume like a lead weight in his hand.

"Hogwarts: A History?"

"I gave that to Ron," she gasped, stepping forward to grasp the volume. "I gave one to Harry too for his birthday, kind of like a gag gift. They will never read it of course, but Harry laughed and hugged me when I gave it to him, and by that time Ron was already struggling with drugs. I thought maybe it would appeal to the humor in him, and since I care about it so much maybe it'd help redirect his focus." She smiled ruefully, shaking her head as she studied the torn cover. "Obviously, it didn't work."

"But Weasley was here then?" he inquired, his hand coming to rest on her arm. "That's his edition?"

"I penned in their names on the inside page with a little note," she muttered, flipping it open. "It went against my love as a book lover but they'd end up leaving both copies in one place if they didn't have some way to tell them apart."

Draco peered over her shoulder, looking at the empty first page and the torn section on the left. "Looks like he tore it out."

"But it's most certainly Ron's," she sighed. "His was always far more destroyed than Harry's. And I don't see why he'd bother throwing his copy here, not after all he's learned."

Nodding, he led her back into the common room again, his eyes skirting around the corridor for the slightest hint that Weasley lingered around. They hadn't taken but a minute or two to throw open the door, so either the twit ran when he heard them coming or he never had the intention of staying around at all.

Hermione tossed the book onto the chair, smoothing down the cover as an afterthought. She stepped towards her room, ran her hands over her face once, and turned back to him. "Someone must've told him. He knows there will be a meeting tomorrow."

"He won't be able to do anything," Draco reminded, driving home his point from earlier. "We'll be partners in all our classes tomorrow; he won't dare try anything if I'm around, or Harry."

"While I appreciate that, it's not what concerns me," she muttered, worrying her lip. "Ron likes to take the easy way out of everything, like using drugs to cope with what's happened. He even ran off on Harry and I once when we were searching for Horcrux's." She shook her head, lost in thought.

"You think he's going to run," he realized, putting the pieces together, "to avoid conflict."

"And to avoid his parents. They've been through enough, even Ron isn't daft enough to think they'll take this lightly. If he can't handle it then he's going to try to disappear."

Draco scowled, turning back towards the door. "Then we just need to bloody find him-"

"You don't get it," she muttered, drawing his attention again. He glanced over his shoulder, noting the defeated look on her face. She didn't look like she might cry again, but she appeared so beat down that he feared she may topple over. "Knowing Ron, I think he's already left. Throwing the book was just a last rueful gesture before he took off. If I'm right, he's already heading off the grounds by now."

 **A/N: I apologize for the delay in updates, so I won't make any excuses but I will hope you like this one! I know I left it off a little cliffy, but the good news is that the chapter got so long I already have a third of the next one typed up because of it! So long as nothing else comes up in life updates should be by the week again. Hope you enjoyed this one! Let me know your thoughts.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/n: Warnings of drug abuse, physical and emotional abuse and subtle mentions of non-con. Very brief.**

She tapped her quill against the parchment again, failing to take any notes as the teacher lectured on, and checked the clock for perhaps the hundredth time this lesson. She simply couldn't focus.

It was just after ten. She'd meet with Molly and Arthur after the initial meeting to admit not only that she knew Ron was in a bad place but that she also failed to do anything about it until it was much too late. Setting the quill down she resisted the urge to bury her head into her arms, she rubbed her eyes instead, searching the room for the head of blond hair two rows ahead of her. Finally after sticking to her side for the first two bloody lessons he let up and went to sit with his mates. More than anything she desperately needed privacy at the moment.

Blinking the exhaustion away, she replayed the hours before breakfast this morning when things got so much worse. She'd be a fool if she thought she could justify any of it, and the added dilemmas associated with it all didn't help everything else rushing through her head.

Turning her attention down to the blank parchment she closed her eyes, remembering the last few hours before morning.

" _Checking now won't do us any good," Draco reasoned, grasping her arm. She didn't want to wait there in the common room, not after spending the last twenty minutes in absolute certainty that Ron was running, and Lavender was probably in tow. "It's the middle of the bloody fucking morning. We'll just be stumbling around in the dark."_

" _Aren't you used to that?" she snapped, pushing his hand away. "After all this time you're certainly just as good at sneaking through the dark as I am – as Ron is. He's going to get out of the castle and Merlin knows where he'll go after that!"_

 _He frowned, his brows creasing slightly as he reached out for her again. But she didn't seek his comfort anymore. Maybe she did earlier before Ron's interruption, but not her focus was again tunnel-vision towards the redhead who caused her so much distress. She couldn't rest now, not with her heart resting so heavily in her chest. "Hermione-"_

" _You don't want to go after him anyway," she continued, jerking her body away from his towards her bedroom. "You'd be happy if he ran off, less of a problem for you."_

" _Maybe it would be," he agreed, his footfalls chasing after her as she entered her room. She didn't bother trying to slam the door, shutting him out like she did Ron. Instead she scrambled around for something to throw on her feet, her wand still grasped in a white-knuckle hold. "I'm more concerned about you running off after him in the middle of the damn night. Don't you think that's something he wants?"_

 _She laughed, but the noise came out as more of a sob than the angry jest she intended. Sitting heavily down on her bed she glared up at him, willing the git to understand._

" _Ron's nothing if not able to predict my emotions," she muttered, staring off behind his head at the wall. "After all this I doubt he wants anything to do with me."_

" _Are you dense?" he snapped, forcefully grabbing the socks back off her feet even as she slipped them on. "Whether or not Weasel was stupid enough to cheat on you isn't the point. He didn't spend the last several years lusting after you-"_

 _She felt her cheeks heating up as she kicked his hands away, glaring up at him. "He wasn't_ lusting- _"_

" _Every teenager is lusting after someone," he interrupted, crossing his arms. "He didn't spend all that time trying to get you just to let you go. He might be with Brown now, but I'm certain if you throw yourself after him he'll have second thoughts, and that's the last thing you want. Do you think he'll be more forgiving because you chased him in the dead of night?"_

 _His words felt like a blow, and she wrapped her arms protectively around her middle as she held his gaze. Their heart-to-heart earlier may as well not have happened with the way he was cutting her down. "I don't expect Ron to be forgiving about anything. He's rightfully mad at me in his own head, thinking I spoiled all his plans. But I can't just let my friend disappear into the night!"_

" _He may just as well be up in his dorm," Draco seethed, stepping back from her as they argued. "We have no confirmation that he left, and the last thing you need to do is go wandering through his room. I'm sure that won't get his mind spinning."_

" _Draco," she snapped, standing. "I just want to make sure he's not going to do something that's going to end up hurting him."_

 _He met her eyes, lifting his chin definitely as he spoke again. "And what if his actions end up hurting you?"_

She wanted to slam her head into the desk. Of course Ron may hurt her, given his history she wouldn't put it past him. But she also didn't believe he could've fallen down this path alone, and she'd seen firsthand Lavender getting high with him not long ago. For all she knew, she was the grand mastermind behind everything.

Even as she tried to argue the point, it didn't make sense. Why would Ron listen to Lavender, another girl, when he could barely be bothered to listen to her? Glancing down at her bag she wondered if she should just leave class early and get some air.

It didn't matter anyway; he was gone, and so was Lavender. They were both reported missing this morning and it didn't take a genius to put the pieces together. Where they went was another matter altogether, and with everything else going on a Ministry worker would likely appear at the school to investigate soon enough. Now it was just a matter of time.

Still, she couldn't quiet her thoughts. After their argument last night she ended up tossing and turning in her bed instead of pursuing Ron, and even as the hours ticked on she could hear Malfoy in the living room rolling around, sleeping on the couch, their drinks forgotten. He didn't trust her to not go searching.

He knew her too well.

Her heart fluttered a little as she turned her attention to Draco again, his blond head bobbing as he spoke with Blaise. He'd been attached to her side this morning except for breakfast, worried she may take matters into her own hands. He'd only given her space this hour because she'd begged him to. She couldn't handle his suffocating presence.

He wouldn't approve of her thoughts anyway. He'd say she cared too much for Ron.

Glancing at her bag a second time she decided she couldn't handle things anymore, and dragged out a copy of today's assignment that she'd done two weeks ago. She didn't usually mind doing the work again, but today she couldn't be bothered. She had other things to do than worry about schoolwork this afternoon.

Turning in her assignment, she tried to ignore the vein starting to bulge in Draco's head. A quick peek at his paper as she passed proved her had several more sections of the assignment to answer, and he couldn't just rush out of class after her without making a scene. This would be the only time she could get any peace before the meeting, and she desperately needed it.

Avoiding Harry and Ginny as she slipped out of the room, she made her way back to the dorm. No reason to carry such a cumbersome bag with her to a meeting where none of it mattered. She'd just shed her bag and school clothes in place of something more comfortable when she caught a glimpse out her window to the world outside, and she took a moment to stare out.

Traveling to town was prohibited. McGonagall made the announcement this morning without any explanation. Staring out and away from her she could see Hogsmeade in the distance, the colorful etching of the caravans off to one side. They appeared almost hazy this morning, and she had to blink twice to focus. It looked busier than normal down there, and despite herself she couldn't help taking a closer look. Using her wand to magnify the window like a looking glass she zoomed in on the scene far away, quite proud of herself for mastering such a handy trick.

The caravans were packing up.

She leaned closer to the glass, practically pressing her face against it as she took in the picture before her. It was still a bit distant, like standing on the main road of Hogsmeade instead of right in front of the collection of travelers. Frowning she scanned the front carts, wondering if word got to the travelers already that they were no longer welcome.

That settled it then; Ron was long gone. Without his addiction being close by there was no further reason to hang around near the school he was desperately trying to escape. She leaned back from the glass and sighed, her hopes deflating. Part of her hoped he would hang around to get high again, and the Willow's Weep could be his downfall. If it was gone, nothing else tethered him here. Who knew where he'd run off to with Lavender.

Hermione was closing the magnified mirror when something caught her eye, causing her to stall. There, flicking through the dead space between tents, something red was moving swiftly through the crowd.

No bloody way.

She watched a moment or two longer, not believing her own dumb luck that Ron hung around. He stepped between two caravans a moment later and paused, a bundle of something in his arms. Leaning closer to the mirror again she couldn't mistake the telltale signs of the drug nestled into his arms.

A head of brown-blond hair followed, and she had to swallow the lump in her throat at the unmistakable picture of Lavender standing beside him, the two stuffing bottles into a bag at her waist. They stood only a moment longer, kissing briefly before they turned and headed towards the forest, their hands linked together.

She couldn't stop the strike of pain in her chest. Damn it, she didn't need to feel jealous when Ron kissed someone else anymore.

But damn it, she did.

Dashing from her room, shoes barely on her feet, she tried to reason with herself. Ron and Lavender had to be traveling out of sight to apparate, which only gave her a few minutes. They'd be long gone by the time she made it to town, unless they were currently hiding out there. And even then, the space was probably hidden from the naked eye.

She wracked through her brain, looking for a solution that was absolutely crazy. Other than hurrying down there herself, she couldn't think of another fast route. She couldn't apparate within the school, and she wasn't nearly fit enough to run down there, much less in minutes. But telling anyone, searching for Draco or Harry or Ginny, would waste time to find Ron that she simply didn't have.

Why did she have to see them? It wouldn't be a problem if she never spied them through the bloody magnified window.

Without paying much attention, she found herself on the first floor heading towards the entrance. Skidding her feet on the floor she forced herself to stop, staring at the sunshine outside. She didn't even notice where she was until she stopped right there.

"Granger?"

Hermione jumped and spun around, caught in the act of leaving. The door wasn't closed, not like she expected, and it was just as surprising to see Theo standing behind her, brow furrowed as he studied her in the late morning light.

"Oh, Nott," she said, patting down her hair. "You startled me."

He nodded, seemingly unfazed by her jittery attitude. Aside from a few scarce times with Draco she'd rarely spent any time with the Slytherin in question, and the most she knew about him was that he had the same controlling addiction Ron did.

Then again, she'd never seen him lose it and hit anyone either. Maybe it really did have to do with all the alcohol Draco and Blaise shoved down his throat – one terrible addiction for another.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He was still in his school robes, his cheeks lacking color this morning. She wondered if he was starting to go into withdrawals. "Headmistress said no one's to leave the castle, remember? She's got a bloody ward on the exits. You can leave but they will know."

Right, how did she forget that? "Well, you see, I was just-"

"Draco mentioned you might try to leave school today," he continued, his eyes searching out the entrance again. "He asked that I study up here this period. I guess he wasn't so far off."

"I'm not trying to leave," she snapped, hands on her hips. "I'm just-"

"Looking for Weasley?" Theo asked, stopping whatever comeback she was forming. "Draco mentioned it a few days ago on one of my good days."

"What did he say?" she asked, her mouth dry. He said he wouldn't tell anyone, didn't he? So maybe that didn't mean his friends.

"He just said not to trust the oaf, though I can't say I trusted him much to begin with." He shuddered, hands visibly fisting together in his pockets. "Redheads. Can't trust the lot of them."

She bit back a retort, a plan forming in her mind. Fickle as it was, it was better than waiting around or going ahead without anyone knowing. "Actually Theo, there is something you can do for me."

He blanched, whether from the use of his first name or her sudden mood change she didn't know. "And what is that?"

"Which tent is it that sells Willow's Weep?" she asked before she could lose her nerve. He frowned immediately and reached forward to grasp her writ. She flinched at the contact, but he was so much gentler than she was used to users of the drug being that there was no need, and they met eyes in an uneasy silence.

Theo wet his lips. "Draco may have also mentioned the git's been using you as a punching bag." He let go of her arm but held her eyes, fingers tapping against his thighs. "There's no way I'll help you go out there to search Granger. Draco will have my head, and if Weasley finds you he'll likely have yours."

"Ron isn't a monster," she snapped, ignoring the twinge in her gut that told her that wasn't true. "But if he was hanging around it was only for one thing, and I saw him getting more of the Willow's Weep – don't ask how, just trust me. He's going to bolt, he and Lavender both. And it could take ages to find them again. I may have shown him too many spells during the war to throw off tracking charms. If he remembers any it will the double time it takes to find them."

Theo frowned, looking uncertainly between Hermione and the castle door, as though Draco may appear at any moment and catch them. She ignored the twinge in her head, wondering why he didn't trust her enough to not sanction his friends around the castle to watch for her sudden escape.

It's not like she was proving his point right now or anything.

"You're going to go to Hogsmeade anyway, aren't you?" he sighed, stepping back from her, "even if I draw my wand. I don't think I've ever won in a dual against you."

"You haven't," she agreed, leveling her gaze. "But Draco and Harry and everyone else will be twice as frantic if I go alone." She ignored the heavy feeling in her chest, telling her Ron was likely already gone and all her efforts were wasted. "I don't like the tents any more than I like the drugs. But you've gone before, and I'll be certain to keep you from succumbing to addiction again. Walk with me and you'll cut my time in half."

It also gave her someone else to lean on if she did find Ron. Who knew where his mind was right now, especially if he was hanging out so close to the school. Watching her closely Theo nodded once, and she almost wished he hadn't.

She had to go and try to find Ron, even if Draco warned her against it. She owed her friend that much.

* * *

"They all look the same."

"They are different colors," Theo replied, walking side by side through the caravans with her. It was true, people were packing up to leave. By nightfall everyone would likely be gone. She kept close to Theo, grateful she hadn't come alone. Everyone was in a bad mood, and two duelists in a fight had a much better chance than one.

She kept her mouth mostly closed, afraid she'd say something she'd regret. Draco's warnings and Harry's concerns weighed heavily in her mind, and if she thought about them too much she would tell Theo to turn back. He was already going against everything by coming with her. Disabling the wards to get out of the castle took a bit of effort, but nothing she couldn't handle. Now she just had to hope Theo wouldn't lose sight of why they were here at they got closer to the tent.

In theory, they didn't need to get very close. She mostly wanted to walk near the edge of the forest and see if her wand would point her in the right direction of Ron. If he was still nearby, he'd be easy to find that way.

Unfortunately, the only sign she'd gotten from her spells indicated that Ron was somewhere in the mess of caravans, and that was the last thing she wanted. If he was in here, that only meant one thing.

Theo already told her they should turn back twice. Why he felt the need to help her find Ron was beyond her, but she didn't dare ask. He'd surely put up a fight to drag her back to the castle then, and she only had so long until people noticed they were gone. Once Draco noticed, there was no way he wouldn't think of coming here. Her time was limited.

"Are you sure you want to go in?" Theo asked for the third time as they rounded another disheveled corner. "If he is using it-"

"Then all the more reason for me to come in. If nothing else I'm a good distraction. Ron can't get away from here. Everything will be so much worse if he does."

"You keep saying that," Theo agreed, stepping past some pushy salesman who kept pushing fish at them, "but can you prove it. Maybe a quick dose of reality is what he needs to snap him out of using it completely. It sure worked on…"

His words trailed off and she jerked her head up, glaring at him. "Sure worked on who?"

Theo shook his head, apparently regretting what he said. "No one- me. It worked on me."

"From what I understand you're still struggling," she argued, not buying his lie. "Who did it work on?"

He shook his head, pointing to the following tent. "No one, Granger. There, that one. This is where I've been buying."

Hermione nodded once, peeking in through the flap of the tent. Despite the fact that the caravans were closing up, it looked like there were many more people in there than last time. Moving the product apparently created a surplus in demand. "Good, now I just-"

"You won't go in alone," he argued, stepping closer to the tent, "Draco will kill me."

She scrunched up her nose, meeting him by the entrance. "You keep saying that."

Hermione ducked in before she could lose her courage, taking in the scene before her. There was easily triple the amount of people in the tent as last time, the curtains drawn closed on all the back rooms and a line forming to get to the counter with the rude attendant. She blinked several times against the horrid smell of the tent, shoving back the memories of Ron's distant, detached behavior from last time before she lost her nerve.

He'd be no different this time if he saw her.

Theo took up the last bit of space behind her, and she could feel how tense he was standing there. Bringing him was a mistake, making him fight against something he obviously struggled with. Yet another poor choice to chalk up against her and all her shite decisions she'd made, but it couldn't be helped now. They were here, and there was only one thing to do now.

"'Mione!"

She scowled and turned towards the voice, fighting down the annoyance in her head from the last time he'd called her that. Ron sat sprawled in a chair much too big for him, his body initially hidden from view upon entrance. He was leaning forward now, his grin so much like the goofy loveable Ron she was used to that it nearly broke her heart.

This wasn't her Ron though. He stood and stumbled towards her, the other patrons apparently not noticing him. Theo stepped in front of her then, his eyes looking uncertainly between her and the ginger as though he wasn't sure when to intervene.

Ron seemed to notice, and stopped just out of reach to glower at them. "A new one?"

It took her a moment to realize he was speaking to her, what with that glossed over look in his eyes and the fact that he wasn't even looking in her direction. "Ron, Theo just walked me-"

"I see you won't get high with me but Slytherin's are an entirely different story." His goofy smile was gone, replaced by the same angry, calculated look she'd grown to know. She wasn't sure what he was talking about anymore, with the way his eyes danced over his form to the line of patrons and back. "It's not even the Ferret this time."

"Ron," she snapped, grateful when her voice didn't tremble, "Theo just walked with me down here. I was looking for you."

"Lavender said you'd probably do that. Found us faster than we thought."

She frowned. "Ron, you're exactly where I expected you'd be. Come on, let's go back to the castle." She crinkled her nose, forcing herself to spit the next bit out. "Lavender too."

His glossed over eyes turned to focus on her, and she barely registered the line moving in front of them. "To the castle?"

"Yes," she replied, wondering where the argument was. "Remember, school? We need to talk, the lot of us. Everything will be better so long as you don't run away."

"I'm not running away," Ron snapped, stepping closer. She squared her shoulders, refusing to be afraid of him. It helped an awful lot when she saw Theo's wand whip out, suddenly pressing into Ron's neck. "No, we're here to help."

"To help what?" she asked, suddenly confused.

"Lavender said," he began, rubbing at his forehead as though he couldn't remember. "I've lost her I think. Someplace in the tent. She said it's time."

Hermione swallowed, the sense of foreboding suddenly rising in her mind. "Time for what?"

" _Time_ ," Ron stressed, as though he wasn't quite sure. The glossy look was still there, taking over his expression but something else lingered beneath it. He nearly looked confused. "I don't know what. But they promised."

"Who promised?" she snapped, glancing around the tent. No one seemed to be paying attention, but suddenly that didn't seem to matter so much. Ron's ramblings were suddenly frightening her. "What did they promise?"

Ron softened, as though forgetting everything they'd been discussing. He reached out and stroked her cheek, the pad of his soft finger like a blade in her skin. She jerked back, not wanting him to touch her.

"You," he whispered, his expression breaking back into the goofy grin. "I can have you."

"Weasley," Theo stressed, and she jumped at the sound of his voice, forgetting he was there. She saw his wand press further into Ron, and he obviously hadn't forgotten a thing about the Slytherin. "Who the hell could promise you that?"

Ron grinned, something sick and broken snaking out beneath his expression. He gestured around the room, the space full of people who hadn't been paying a wink of attention to them. But they were. They were all looking on now.

Even Lavender, perched in the open space of one of the back rooms, the curtain thrown aside. She had the same goofy, distanced look that Ron did. And neither of them looked like they were going anywhere.

The pieces of the puzzle clicked together in her head. It was no mistake she'd seen them through the magnified version of her window.

It was always a trap.

Theo said something she missed in the chaos of the next few moments, Ron's body flying away from them and back towards the far wall. Her wand came out on instinct, her training taking over when the rest of her refused to. Theo had one hand on her arm, half dragging her out of the tent as all the patrons turned, their large dark eyes watching her.

Of course, when you can't rule people by force, it's easiest to create an army that won't fight against you. As Theo dragged her out of the tent she realized why the space felt so dangerous, so untrustworthy. Maybe they came on a good day last time, and that's how she never noticed.

Those faces following her out of the tent looked an awful lot like Death Eaters.

They didn't have an army anymore, so what better way to sway people to your side than give them something they can't refuse? Glancing at Theo as they hopped over various spots in between the caravans, she wondered how he resisted the temptation and Ron hadn't.

How did Ron get so tangled up in a drug war?

She forced the thoughts out of her head as they ran, unable to focus on the fleeting possibilities. She'd heard nothing of a drug war in wizarding Britain, and surely something like that would make the news, or at least the gossip circles. How something like that stayed under wraps was beyond her.

Maybe she was overthinking it all.

They made it out of the caravans easily enough. Glancing back she realized no one was following them. Her stomach dropped as she looked around, Theo picking up on her anxious mood. Just because people weren't behind them didn't mean that they were simply _gone_.

Swallowing hard she tried making sense of what she'd seen. Several of them looked like Death Eaters, not people she knew but people she'd seen among the ranks. She could be mistaken, driven by Ron's strange behavior and the fact that she put the both of them in a dangerous situation. She tried putting her mind in order as Theo took off, putting distance between them and the tents. Maybe it was all in her head.

But Theo struck first, and if it wasn't to get at the drugs there was no way he lost control. He wasn't emotionally charged like Draco or Harry to this situation, and he didn't really give a damn one way or the other. There had to be more to the story.

She hurried in front of him, stopping him when he crashed into her. "Did you know!?"

Theo stepped back, glancing around them as though he expected something to crawl out of the shadows. "Granger not here-"

"The Death Eaters," she continued, getting right to the point. "Did you know they were there?"

He shook his head as they continued on, the tents growing farther and farther away from them. "I've heard, I mean, there were rumors-"

"So yes," she deadpanned, stopping in the middle of the path. "That wasn't my mind making those faces up. There were Death Eaters there?"

Theo nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Yes. I don't know who controls Willow's Weep or any of the other shit there Granger, but there were rumors. After the war the paradigm shifted, people still wanted control and power." Jerking his head back to the tents, he met her eyes. "They didn't stop following us because they couldn't catch us. Those people were making an example out of Weasely."

Her chest tightened as she started at him, eyes growing wide. "What does that mean?"

"People are easy enough to control if given incentive," he relied, clenching his hands. "Maybe the drug lords controlled this before, but things are changing. I've heard of it, but never really believed it. But even people like Weasley are becoming entangled in the drugs now. Look what they do!" He gestured around them, starting up the hill again. "We need to go, we'll be in enough trouble-"

"But we know this now!" she snapped, catching up with him. "I don't think anyone knew this before, least of all the Ministry. They could create a cult to do anything they wanted if they are drugged and brain-washed enough. I can't believe I didn't stop Ron sooner."

"I don't think you could've."

She let his words hang in the air, fleeting eyes glancing around them. She didn't believe for a minute that people were done pursuing them, and Theo was right to be nervous about talking about this out in the open. If anyone thought they knew too much, they would be in so much more trouble.

She came to save Ron, but found out so much more; now it hinged on the idea of whether or not she could do anything about it.

Glancing back over her shoulder, she willed herself to not overthink. Whoever followed them wouldn't suddenly let them go, there had to be a catch that she couldn't allow them to fall for. Remembering Ron's distant eyes, she shuddered to think what the group did when someone trespassed on their secrets. Wetting her lips she tried to think of something to say, barely making herself force the words out. "Theo-"

Hermione gasped, taken down from the side by something heavy. She fell into the earth, grunting when her shoulder hit first and pain exploded there. Whatever hit her from the side sat up, and it took her barely a moment to make sense of what she was seeing.

"Ron, Ron get off!"

He was sitting on top of her, apparently the heavy thing that took her down in her moment of distraction. She couldn't focus on him just then, whipping her head back to the caravans again, wondering what kind of trick this was. There was no way Ron reached her so quickly.

He was busy using one hand to lovingly stroke her cheek, the other hand toying with the top of her blouse. He was muttering something that she couldn't understand, the goofy grin back in place.

She kneed him in the back, but it did nothing to obscure his attention. He didn't even seem to notice. "Get off me Ron!"

"You can come with," he said, his eyes big and full of love. Love that seemed to be temperamental, and hinged just as much on his addiction as it did his mood. "You have to come with, or they'll get mad."

"Get off me!" she snapped, using one hand to break the knuckles over his face. His head whipped to the side and she scrambled beneath him, attempting to get him off of her. Distantly, she wondered where Theo was.

"Shh, shh," Ron said, regaining his composure faster than expected. Her eyes widened, and she wondered where his anger was. Usually by now he'd have gone off. "You have to come. You can't go."

She shivered when he bent to kiss her, attempting feebly to shove him off. Her wand was within grasp, the fingers of one hand flicking the wood as she struggled. He wasn't in his right mind, but he wouldn't really hurt her again, would he?

She almost laughed out loud at how stupid that sounded.

His fingers were playing with the buttons on her blouse now, the other arm holding down her shoulders. She refused to focus on what he was doing, instead twisting the wand around until she could grasp it and not simply touch it with her fingers.

She couldn't focus on what Ron was doing, or she'd panic.

Biting his lip did nothing to deter him, and she shivered when his fingers found their way inside her blouse, ripping the two remaining buttons instead of undoing them. He was completely lost somewhere between being high and being angry, and if he would just stick with the first feeling for a while she could get him off of her.

His mood changed then, the arm on her shoulders shifting to tighten over her throat, and he pulled back from her long enough to glare, his fingers still slipped beneath her blouse and bra.

"You're not having fun."

Her eyes widened, and for a moment she wondered if he recalled where they were. "Of course I'm not-"

His hand on her arm shifted again, this time lifting up shifting to strike her hard enough that her head lulled and she momentarily forgot what she was reaching for. His other hand squeezed the soft skin of her nipple beneath her bra and she screamed, the pressure so much harder than she expected and so very unwelcome it made her shiver. She gasped, and for a moment she could taste blood.

"You're not having fun," he snapped again, forcing her to look up at him. His hand rested painfully on her jaw, squeezing his fingers into her. "You're supposed to. I'm me."

She didn't quite know what that meant, and maybe her head was playing games with her after slamming into the ground from the force of his slap. She coughed once, shifting her hand back as something cool touched her fingertips. Somewhere down the line his jerky movements pushed her close enough to her wand.

She didn't hesitate. Without blinking she whipped it up and sent him sprawling into the nearest tree, her eyes immediately dancing around for Theo.

He was crumbled several feet from her, and she forced herself to get up and check on him. Ron was groaning but currently making no move to get up, and she didn't see any other attackers. Pulling at her blouse she tried to keep it closed, ignoring the sick feeling rising up in her.

"Theo," she whispered, sinking down beside him. Her head hurt and she didn't dare think about Ron just then, instead studying him. It appeared someone had knocked him out, but that was the extent of the damage. No wonder he was nowhere around when Ron jumped on her.

She swallowed, fighting the bile in her throat. It was a setup, one Draco warned her against. There was no way all those people jumped up suddenly, chased them, and then struck down Theo so Ron could speak with her. What made her important enough to be singled out didn't matter; it was either her importance or Ron's sway that prompted the singled out attack, and she didn't much want to think about either.

Ensuring that he was still breathing and well she whipped around, eyes taking in the space around them. They were no longer in sight of Hogsmeade but on the path, and anyone could've seen them if they were traveling, which was a risky move. Her eyes fell on Ron again, who was watching her now with a mixture of anger.

"You struck me," he snapped, his words less jumbled now. She recognized the anger in his voice almost instantly. Why he found it surprising that she fought back didn't matter; what did was that he attacked her.

"And you were hurting me," she argued, keeping her distance. Her blouse was still clasped between her fingers, the loose ends flapping in the breeze. "You-"

"You were with Malfoy," he argued, eyes angling up to hers. It was such a petty reason she nearly charged him right then. "You were supposed to spend time with me."

"I was trying to get _away_ from you," she hissed, eyes wide. "You've been hurting me Ron, and I'm sure you'd try to go a whole lot further if I didn't stop you now. I came out hoping I could keep you from making more mistakes." She shook her head, touching her cheek. "I don't know why I bothered. I should've let you go."

He grinned, the manic grin she'd gotten so used to in the last few weeks. "You should've. I told them you'd come."

Her eyes flashed and she felt sick, wondering if he even realized what he was doing anymore. "Ron, those people… they're the ones-"

"They didn't kill Fred!" he snapped, getting up off the ground. She held his gaze, willing herself to not shake now. She needed to find out what he could. "Not them. Others. And they won't kill me. They are helping."

"They're giving you what you want," Hermione argued, hardening her gaze. "No one's helping you right now. Not Lavender, not the drugs, not anyone."

He scowled, taking two steps back instead of forward. "They said you would be like that. But you're my 'Mione. I thought you'd understand for me."

"I don't understand anything!" she snapped, turning her eyes up to look for the second attacker. "You're not making sense, and you're digging yourself a bigger hole no one can save you from. What you're getting tangled up in is so much bigger than some drugs in a tent Ron."

He grinned, and she involuntarily shrank away from the crude expression. Off in the distance she could hear screams, and she wondered if people were looking for her or were being hurt. "I know."

He sent a stunning spell at her then, which she sidestepped and countered. He used his wand to cut through three tree limbs, and it took her more effort than she liked to avoid the three falling dilemmas as well as making sure one didn't land on Theo's unconscious figure.

Spinning back she readied herself for the next attack, one hand still holding her blouse. She paused, noticing the blank landscape in front of her, and dropped her stance.

Listening to the surroundings for several moments she heard the cries again. Two were very distinct and they were definitely searching for her. But try as she may she couldn't find Ron, either in the trees or hidden. He'd used the distraction to disappear, a coward's escape.

She barely noticed when Draco appeared in the clearing, his hands immediately grabbing her and spinning her around. She cringed when he touched her shoulder and retracted his hands, using his wand to stitch up the ruined front of her blouse. His eyes were darken than usual, murderous.

"Hermione," he whispered, one hand coming up to rest on the cheek that wasn't bruising. He thought all this was because Ron was mad at her for following. He had no idea.

She stepped forward and let her head fall into his shoulder, feeling better when his arm wrapped around her. Past his arm she could see Blaise crouched beside Theo, several other teachers and a few individuals she didn't recognize crowded around watching. Two took off towards the caravans, and she sincerely hoped they were ready for a battle.

Harry stood a few steps behind Malfoy, his gaze watching her. She'd never seen him look quite so angry before.

"What were you thinking?" Draco snapped, his fingers coming to lift her head and hold her gaze. His touch was so soft, so forgiving compared to Ron's rushed fingers and painful grabs she couldn't help the tears that pricked her eyes.

She couldn't possibly make things worse.

"I wasn't," she whispered, holding his gaze. "But they are. We can't stay here; we have to go to the castle. Draco, they're dangerous."

 **A/n:** This chapter was finished several days ago but I was unhappy with it and retyped it three more times. I think I'm satisfied with this story as of now. The drug do play a part not just with Ron but with everything. To the two reviewers who commented on grammatical errors I'll hopefully be going back through and editing the chapters soon, but time hasn't allowed for it. I wanted to get a new one out instead, and this one's long to make up for time. There will continue to be updates, but I got a big promotion at work and it eats up more of my time now. I hope you enjoyed and see you next chapter! Let me know what you think of the turn of events.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Mentions of drug abuse.**

He looked out the window again, unable to meet her eyes. Merlin forbid she see how angry he was.

Not that she didn't deserve it.

Glancing back around the room, he noted Potter still hadn't come back. He was likely out with Weasely again, trying to calm her parents that were anything but reasonable. At least they hadn't gotten into the infirmary; he could only imagine how much worse things would be then.

His eyes turned to Theo, still unconscious on the bed beside him. The strike to his head wouldn't kill the dolt, but he might wish it had when Draco got around to wringing his neck. How could he be so bloody stupid?

"Quit glaring at him," Hermione muttered, her voice just as grating as it was all the way back to the castle. "I'm the one that dragged him out there you know."

"And he had one bleeding job," he snapped in return, turning his eyes to her. "And somehow you still ended up getting hurt."

She scoffed, pushing down the bedcovers again. She'd tried twice so far to escape the infirmary and thus far at least she hadn't been successful. He kept dragging the blankets back to her chin, demanding she stay still a while longer. If he kept doing that he at least didn't have to argue with her.

"I'm not dying Draco," she reminded, brushing her hair away from her face again. "I'm not even really hurt. Madame Pompfrey made sure the sting is gone everywhere. Really I'm fine."

He scowled, glancing down again at the blouse he repaired once again. She blushed under his scrutiny, but didn't look away. Damn it, there were some things he just didn't think he could discuss with her without breaking something else in the room.

"Ron didn't hurt me," she continued, rolling her shoulders as though she could roll the tense atmosphere of the room off too. "Not really anyway. No more than he already has."

He frowned and sat on the edge of her bed, the release papers still off near the nurse station. He doubted they would release her until things with the Weasley's cleared. She already ran off and did something stupid once today, no way would the staff and Ministry risk her taking off again.

Just another problem to add to the list.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he asked, dragging his eyes to hers. "Running off, seriously? That's what he wanted you to do."

"You aren't wrong," she muttered, "but I did find out more about the drugs than we knew before. It's a huge profit right now. I didn't know it was so involved."

He scowled, pressing the pads of his hands into his legs. "That's not the point. He was _on_ you. If Theo wasn't around he could've dragged you off with the other attacker. They wouldn't have had a distraction at all. You wouldn't even be here to argue with right now if things happened even slightly differently."

"He won't kill me Draco," Hermione sighed, dropping her head. "I'm not useful to him dead. He wants me alive you know. The worst he can do is kidnap me."

"He can do a lot worse than that and you know it," he seethed, leaning closer to her. "And he will. The best thing that could've happened did; he bolted and now we don't know where he is. You can't just run off senselessly anymore."

"It's not senseless," she retorted, drawing up her knees. She nodded her head towards Theo, still asleep in the other bed. "You were concerned when you saw Theo down there. You practically lost your mind. Ron might do some bad things, but I still care about him. I don't want to see him spiral out of control."

"He's already out of control! You're in the infirmary because of him, and you would've been countless times before if you weren't so bloody stubborn." He looked away, forcing himself to remain calm. She was already defiant and on some hysteric binge to make sure Weasley didn't become a lost cause. Trying to drill his points into her head by force definitely wouldn't get the point across.

"There's still good in him," she remarked, holding up a hand when he tried to interrupt. "He's certainly not all good, and there are parts of him that I no longer recognize. But he's not the worst person in the world either Draco. Half his motives are compelled by his addiction, and the other half-"

She cut herself short, angrily looking at the wall across from him. He frowned, noting the wet gleam of her eyes as she glared hard at some invisible hole, and felt his muscles tighten. She couldn't say what she was thinking, not without crying.

Damn it, everything this bleeding idiot did turned around to hurt her tenfold. Didn't he even realize what his actions caused?

Stuffing down his anger a moment, he reached out and affectionately pat her knee. "Brown's got her talons in him Hermione, that's for sure. Don't feel bad about it. If he can act this way to someone who he's supposed to love, then you shouldn't want anything to do with him."

She scoffed, but he thought he could see the ghost of a smile on her features. It was short lived though, and she flattened her expression again, using her fingers to brush angrily at her cheeks. He watched her a moment, the room highlighting the angle of her cheeks a moment. She twisted in the light, and he scowled again.

His hand snapped out, fingers splaying across her cheek gently. There wasn't much there anymore, save for the remaining outline of Weasley's hand-print against her skin. It would disappear soon, the pain medicine Pompfrey gave her more than enough to fight off the bashing she took.

"Stop studying it," she muttered, dragging his fingers off of her face. He expected her to let go, but instead she cradled his hand in her lap with both of her own, eyes angled down as she rubbed the skin there. He couldn't quite focus on what she was doing, never mind that it felt wonderful to have her fingers brushing across his skin. He kept seeing the imprint on her face, the red skin of her neck from Weasley pressing his fat bulk into her, and the torn shirt he'd repaired, buttons torn down to the bottom and her bra disheveled beneath. He couldn't quite think about that last bit too long, or he would keep seeing red.

Flipping his hand over he let her play with his palm, trying to wash the anger away with her touch. It shouldn't really comfort him as they never had any physical moments between them. Only one occurrence sprang up that didn't involve Weasley, and that was just last night when she stole into his room for a drink and they nearly ended up kissing instead.

At least then she was safe, and there was the farfetched possibility Weasley would just disappear into the damn night. But he knew better, and if the buffoon didn't fry ever last working brain cell he had he'd go searching again. His connection to her went deeper than just their relationship, and he wouldn't let go so easily.

"There's no reason to still be mad about it," she continued, taking his silence as something else. "The bruise will be gone in a few minutes with Pompfrey's healing, and I won't feel it anymore. She even gave me something to take the edge off the pain."

He scowled, not wanting to ask what hurt her more, her bruised shoulder or her bruised ego. "Still, he's not going to stop."

"I realize he won't pity me anymore," she agreed, twirling her hands around. "There's a breaking point in Ron, in everyone, and he reached his." Her fingers moved up, softly creasing the shirt. "I can't fix him with placebos this time."

"It wasn't fixing him before."

"But I was getting closer to a solution," she sighed, glancing away from him. Her eyes fell on Theo, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest, Draco's eyes watching her. He could see the gears in her head turning, something brewing beneath her gaze that she had yet to say. He was starting to worry about what it was. "It could've worked on anyone obsessed… Ron, Theo, you-"

He jerked back, throwing them into silence. Her head turned back towards his, deep brown eyes glowing in the light of the room. He couldn't believe she'd uttered something like that so carelessly into the silence. "What are you talking about?"

"I think you used to take Willow's Weep," she stressed, crossing her arms. "You, Blaise, probably others too. I don't know why, or why you could break away when Theo can't, but he said something out while we were walking and it got me thinking."

Draco swore, glancing sideways at his friend. If the bloke woke up anytime soon he may be tempted to knock him flat again. What possessed him to say such things? "It's not what you think."

"I think you've been lecturing me about what a terrible person Ron is to succumbing to his addiction when you were exactly the same way," she snapped, sitting straighter in the bed. "You may not be attached to Willow's Weep anymore but I bet at one point you were just as hinged to the drug as he is now. So when was it? After the war, dealing with everything that happened or was it even earlier, like during sixth year when you literally ran from everything?" Her gaze was hard, angry, the kind of look you send someone you're furious with. "And you never thought to mention it?"

He stood from the bed, ignoring the way it tilted slightly when he forced his way off. There she went again, playing with his head and his thoughts when she had no right to be. "He had no right to tell you that."

"He didn't have to," she reasoned, throwing off the top cover. "His simple slip of tongue was enough."

"It's still not his secret," Draco snapped, running a hand through his fringe. Blast it, didn't the bloke realize this just complicated things? Defeated he sighed, taking a seat at the edge of the bed across from her, staring down at his toes.

"Well?"

"It was a long time ago," he replied, shaking his head. "And a very few times at that. I never much liked the drug. The hold it has on you is more than I can bear. I only took it while I was a Death Eater-"

"You mean this past _summer_?" she stressed, crossing her arms. He ignored her gaze, forcing himself to not get angry. She had a right to know at this point.

"Yes Hermione, this past fucking summer," he spat, angling his eyes towards the ceiling. "It was something a lot of the Death Eaters did. New initiates, such as myself and Theo, were pressured to take it, almost like a rite of passage into the group. I took it twice, and several other times I used a simple spell to remove the liquid and deposit it into a nearby plant or sink. Rarely did I ever want it."

Her glare continued to cut into his forehead, and he willed himself to meet her eyes again. She looked troubled now, fighting between her desire to remain mad at him for being a hypocrite and pity for his unwelcome introduction to the drug. "And… Blaise?"

"Blaise is a lot like me, he only took it when he couldn't avoid it. Theo fell into the drug though. His father's a heavy user, and when he couldn't cope with all the death around us he simply took another hit. It kept him sane." Draco looked away again, clenching his hands together at his knees. "After the war, just this last summer, we tried weening him off. It's nothing like you did; we didn't bother with placebos. He'd never said anything about the people using the drugs, but we always thought ex Death Eaters were involved, maybe even escapees who haven't yet been captured. It's hard to guess what Theo knows. After his father died he slipped somewhere we couldn't reach him."

"Ron took it because of his brother," she whispered.

"Theo's dad died in the war too. Voldemort wasn't happy with the lot of us one day and made an example out of him. He's never been quite the same."

Hermione cringed, an expression he couldn't miss even if he tried. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

"There are too many testimonies to remember the details of every one," he agreed, hopping off the bed. "Theo watched his father as he was tortured to death. We didn't push him to drop the Willow's Weep after that. We spent most of our summer at Blaise's beach house in Italy coming to terms with everything. Even out there he could get his hands on it. It's not a matter of how much distance you put between the person and their drugs, it's all decided on how much someone really wants to quit."

She grew silent then, and he glanced sideways to find her hopping from the bed to approach him. "I guess that was the problem with Ron."

"Get back into bed," he muttered, standing as well. "You're not cleared yet and Pompfrey will have an absolute fit if she sees you up."

Ignoring him, she stopped just in front of his frame, her fingers dragging up to trace the hollow of his throat. "Ron really never wanted to quit. He wanted something to come to terms with Fred. Funny thing is, he's the only one that took it so hard. I know Molly and Arthur will never be the same, and George is a shadow of himself at best, but Ron is so far gone now… I wish I'd been able to stop it."

She wasn't paying a lot of attention now, her fingers traveling on their own from his neck to the jugular and up to the base of his head, sprawling her hand there. Her eyes focused on his collarbone instead of his face, but in the light of the room he could see the moisture gathering in her eyes. "Funny thing is, after all this time, I thought I'd be enough."

"You are enough."

Hermione laughed, but it was pained and choked by a sob. "Not for him. Not for anyone these days Draco. The drugs do better than I with comforting, and there isn't much else I can do for my friends."

He caught her chin, twining his other hand around her back. She was wavering and needed to sit down. Maybe the potions were working and they'd finally put her out a while. Merlin knew she needed the rest. "You don't need to be enough for him love. You're enough for me."

She gasped, a little breath that he nearly missed. The tears didn't come now, caught somewhere between the spilling out and crawling back into her eyes. He was contemplating whether or not to reach up and dab them away when she surprised him, leaning forward to gently press her lips into his.

His fingers tightened on her chin, his breath sucking in faster as his hand pressed into her lower back, both surprised and elated that she wanted to kiss him. He found himself kissing back, deepening the moment between them, his fingers traveling from her chin to the base of her neck to mimic her actions, so very pleased with the situation that he couldn't imaging ruining it.

Someone cleared their throat, and Hermione nearly fell over in an effort to scramble away from him.

Draco swore quietly, clenching his hands tight as he turned to see who dared to interrupt them. Damn it, he finally got a kiss from the girl and someone just had to intervene. Someone was crossing the length of the hospital wing now, red hair flying out behind her. She was most of the way across the room before Draco picked up on who it was.

Molly Weasley.

"Molly!" He heard Potter off in the direction of the door, but couldn't really focus on what Scarhead was saying as she stormed up to Hermione, his feet unknowingly carrying him to stand by her side. There was a fire in the older woman's eyes that caused his stomach to knot, and he didn't feel particularly good now that their kiss was interrupted. It just put him in a rather foul mood.

Hermione for her part seemed to know what was coming, and at the last moment ducked and stumbled into him as the woman moved to slap her, her hand sailing harmlessly past her face. Draco reacted instantly, reaching around her back to drag the brunette close, putting himself between her and Mother Weasel.

"How dare you!" Molly seethed, working to fight her way around Draco. It was rather hard to fend off the witch while also attempting to not trip on the end of the bed, what with her attempting to slap some sense into him too. "My Ron's gone less than a day and you're in here kissing _him_."

Draco scowled, used to people referring to him in such a displeased manner but completely unprepared for the pure hatred this red-haired bat seemed to exude. From behind her Potter finally appeared, successfully snatching the woman's wand away from her before she could even draw it. A much heavier ginger appeared behind him, and Draco could only assume this was Arthur, stopping alongside his daughter as the both watched Molly work.

"It's not as if he really tried to stick around," Draco replied, filling the silence when Hermione seemed unable to. "He hopped right on the drug express."

"Malfoy!" Potter snapped, managing to drag Molly back to sit on the other bed, Arthur immediately swooping in to take his wife's hand and rein her in. There were dirty tear tracks on her face, as though she'd been crying for quite a while. Draco couldn't help but crinkle his nose, wondering why every bleeding person wanted to cry for Weasley so much.

"Well it's true," he relented, watching at Hermione slipped out from behind him, shoving his arm away. The one time he can actually try to protect her and she shoves him off.

"It's really not what it looks like Molly," she began, holding up her hands but staying back. Behind the trio Weaselette nodded, as though encouraging her to continue. "This just… happened, just now in fact. Ron's running away had nothing to do with Draco."

"But I see it took no time for you to cast him aside!" the woman shrieked, jerking in the bed. She was obviously distressed, her meeting with the Headmistress scheduled only an hour prior. Learning so much at once obviously took its toll, but Draco couldn't help feeling short with her. Didn't she realize Hermione suffered at the hands of her addicted son?

"More like he cast her aside," Draco muttered, grunting when Hermione hit him. Maybe right now wasn't the time to throw in his two cents.

"I told you," Harry stressed, rubbing the woman's hand, "Hermione tried helping Ron, she really did. You haven't seen how stressed she's been these past weeks. I didn't notice it at first but now that I know the truth it's blaringly obvious."

Molly spun on him, jabbing a finger back towards her daughter. "What about the pain it's caused us all? Poor Ginny, she hasn't been the same-"

"We aren't talking about me right now mum," the ginger cut in, and Draco silently wondered what he was missing. "We're talking about Ron. We both told you, Hermione's allegations are true. McGonagall even told you he ran out of school-"

"And did anyone try to check on my baby?" Molly wailed, looking wildly around the room. Draco followed her gaze, noting the Headmistress and several others by the main doors, keeping their distance as the group talked. "No! No one cared, none of you! You just wanted to catch him and get him in trouble!"

"Ron is already in trouble dear," Arthur said, speaking for the first time. There were bags under his eyes as though he hadn't gotten a proper sleep in weeks. "I'm sure Hermione did try to help, like the children said. But he-"

"You can't be against him too!" Molly cried, shaking off the two men. She glared holes into Hermione's head, her cries echoing throughout the room. "No one took care of my Ron! No one stopped him. And now no one knows where he is! He could be dead! He could be gone, gone just like-"

She cut off, dissolving into a bout of hysterical sobs. Draco didn't need her to finish the sentence to know where it was going. Her wails were full of anguish and frustration that no one could fix. Arthur sat beside his wife, cradling her to him as she cried, trying to calm her fried nerves. He had a feeling nothing would do the trick, not until she realized all this was Weasley's doing by himself; not until she knew he was alive and well.

He flicked a glimpse towards the ginger behind her parents, her expression shattered and broken too. Something was said long before the Weasley's stormed their way into the infirmary, something that led to this moment right now. Molly may have nearly struck Hermione, but all her anger was spent. She didn't know who to blame anymore.

Still, it didn't ease his nerves. Every time he turned his back something was happening to her, and he wondered if that was part of the curse of being part of the Golden Trio. Glancing at Hermione, he noted she was crying to. She caught his gaze, scooting closer to his side so he could drape his arm around her. He found a bit of comfort in her being there, nuzzling against him and seeking comfort.

"Headmistress McGonagall informed us of what's been going on," Arthur said, breaking the silence as his wife cried. "It's shocking to say the least. We had no idea all this was happening with our son."

His comment was obviously directed at Hermione, and he felt a distinct sense to protect her from the Weasley's vicious words. Instead she straightened against him, raising her head higher than she had since they walked in.

"With everything else going on, I thought I'd ease your worries a bit." Her voice didn't break when she spoke, and he was instantly proud of how tall she held herself. "Ron asked me not to say anything. At the time it seemed like the right thing to do. When things didn't get better I should've spoken up and said something but I didn't. It may have made a difference."

"We won't know now," Arthur chirped, cutting her off. "With the drug cartel rising up as it is, even when Ron is found he will be dragged into interrogation instead of to St. Mungo's for immediate treatment before rehab. He's tangled too far in now."

"Everything's rising," Ginny spoke up, stepping closer to the group. "The Ministry's involved now, they are scouting Hogsmeade and shutting down outside travel off school grounds. We aren't even really supposed to go into the Forrest for now." She shifted her gaze, meeting Hermione's eyes. "They want personal statements from you and from Theo."

She nodded at his side, the action jerky and uneven. "I figured as much."

"And once the news of Death Eater's gets out people will be in a panic again," Harry seethed. "We know there are still many out there escaping sentences, but once citizens realize they've organized the drug cartel and have control over anyone addicted people will panic."

Draco let their words settle over him, unable to cut out Weasley's hostility towards Hermione. He'd love to give them a piece of his mind, and he'd really love to kick them out so he could see about kissing her again, but the moment was gone and there definitely wouldn't be a repeat now, not with her mood changing so fast. Glaring hard at Ginny, he hoped she got the message.

"Well, sitting in here won't change things," she snapped, her eyes briefly meeting his. She may act weird some days, but at least she could take a hint. "We need to finish speaking with the investigators so we can rest, and get you two home-"

"I-I don't need rest," Molly snapped, her voice overwhelmed by her tears. "I need my son!"

"And we won't be able to do anything more about it in here," Harry prompted, rising as well. People were starting to enter into the room, and the last thing they needed were reporters and investigators listening to this. Arthur helped his wife to her feet, ignoring anyone else as he strode towards the door, keeping his head held high. While his tone may have been chipped and short he didn't seem to hold any anger, even in his eyes, as he practically dragged his wife from the room before she could burst into tears again.

Draco could nearly respect that. Arthur was strong for his wife. With any luck the rest of his children at least inherited the trait.

Weasley and Potter didn't leave nearly as fast, something that Draco both expected and loathed. They turned towards Hermione and forced her to sit back on the bed again, hugging her tight. He supposed it wasn't so unexpected, seeing as they hadn't really gotten to talk to her since Weasley jumped her on the road back from Hogsmeade.

Stepping back he glanced towards Theo, who throughout the ordeal hadn't once stirred. He flexed his fingers, thinking of Weasley again and all the distress he caused. He certainly owed the git something the next time they crossed paths, though he wasn't so sure Hermione would approve if he beat him bloody.

He lifted his gaze, staring out the window. If only so many bloody people weren't involved, extracting revenge on Weasley would be a whole lot easier.

* * *

By the time they made it back to their rooms it was past dinner. The Ministry wanted reports from everyone, Draco included. Talking about it apparently stirred up something inside Hermione that she didn't want to discuss, and he lost track of her before everyone parted ways. The Weasley's were gone by now, along with their harsh words and their frayed feelings. He hadn't bothered to ask Weaselette how she was faring; Potter took more than enough care of her.

She beat him back to the common room by a good forty minutes. They probably could've arrived together, but he got held up by Blaise and Pansy. Theo would stay overnight for treatment, something that Pompfrey didn't think was needed for Hermione. Draco was almost certain it had to do with the fact that he had a taste for Willow's Weep and she didn't.

After escaping his friends and promising a better talk in the morning, Draco finally crossed through the threshold of the common room. No sooner had the door clicked closed than did the sound of glass shattering break the silence, and he jerked his head towards Hermione's room.

What else could possibly go wrong today?

He bolted towards her room, his wand out long before he reached the handle, every worst case scenario playing out in his head. The door opened without resistance and he froze in the threshold, staring into the space.

Apparently, she was in no danger at all. She sat upon her bed, tossing up one vial after another and using her wand to break them apart into nothing. There were no tear tracks on her cheeks this time, just a fierce anger as she reached for another vial, threw it in the air and shattered it before it could begin to descend.

"I wondered when you'd come back," she began, her voice much stronger than he expected. Dropping his guard he pocketed his wand, stepping further into the room to sit at the chair at her desk. "You've been gone a while."

"Blaise caught me," he admitted, watching her expression. Her lips were pressed tight together, and he wondered what exactly she was forcing down. "I owe him an explanation, and my rushed one didn't cut it. He only let me go because I promised to explain more to him in the morning."

She nodded, breaking another vial. "I see. I've been up here hiding. Harry and Ginny caught me in the halls for a few, but I didn't really want to talk to them tonight." She shrugged, her fingers pausing across the next vial. "I didn't want to hear their apologies for Molly."

Draco nodded in return, unable to justify the Weasley's reactions with words. Some of it seemed justified and some of it seemed so misplaced he simply couldn't agree. "Why are you breaking those?"

"There's no reason to keep them," she said with a shrug, fisting the next one. "Ron isn't here to need a placebo anymore, so why keep them? They just show how much time I wasted."

He let her throw up the next one, not bothering to stop her. "It isn't wasted. I told you there's no solution to this addiction right now, mostly just the will power to walk away, and a lot of people using it just don't have that. It would be a waste to throw out all your hard work just because Weasley is too dense to accept it."

Hermione smiled for a moment, the expression ghosting over her features. Then she seemed to catch herself doing it and she stopped, snatching up the next vial and breaking it to pieces. "The Ministry wouldn't listen to what I have to say on the matter. I may be bright Draco but I'm also a muggleborn, and there are still plenty of bigots running the government who don't want to listen to a thing I say."

"Actions speak much louder than words," he reasoned, getting up off the chair. He caught her wrist as she reached for another, sitting down in front of her on the bed. "Give them something to notice."

She scoffed, pulling out of his grip. "There's no guarantee I could do it. All my attempts haven't worked so far."

"They worked for Weasley."

"Only as a temporary fix. He wanted too much and the placebos didn't cut it. He noticed how weak they were and sought out more. That's not a fix."

"It's an improvement."

"Not by much," she sighed, letting go of the vial. He smoothed his fingers over her wrist, loosening his hold. "And it's no good unless it makes a real difference."

"I'm sure you could think of something," Draco replied, smirking. "You're pretty good with potions."

"It's the only class I've never been able to best you in," she muttered, smiling shyly up at him. "The Ministry's going to be preoccupied for a bit searching for Ron and the others, they won't think to keep an eye on us. Maybe together we could make progress with it."

He smirked wider, loving that she included him in her ideas. If she saw him helping her, then she wanted him to stay around. He moved his hand from her wrist, resting it again on her chin, his finger lightly playing with her lip. She inhaled sharply, eyes fluttering shut.

"I didn't get to finish earlier," he breathed, leaning a little closer. "Someone had to come in and interrupt."

"Such a shame," she whispered, keeping her eyes closed. Her lips pulled into a grin, and his body immediately reacted to her next words. "I was rather enjoying myself."

He moved in immediately, covering her lips with his own. Her hands moved to their own accord and wound around his neck, his other arm finding its way again to the small of her back, deepening the kiss. Their lips clashed together, one kiss falling into another as time slipped away.

Draco had no sense of how much time passed before she pulled away, cheeks and chest flushed and she gasped for air. Her eyes were hooded and glazed, blinking several times before she focused on him again. A smile graced her features, and he couldn't help but return the gesture.

"I was right," she murmured, reaching up to play with his hair, "I quite enjoyed that."

He smirked, offering her a hand to help her up from the bed. He wouldn't mind pushing her back down and kissing her some more, but they had other things to focus on and after the day she had he wasn't sure it would help.

Hermione followed him up without complaint, smoothing down her clothes as she stood and accessed the room. Since the glass kept disappearing each time she shattered something the space was clean except for some boxes. He could see the gears turning in her head, already planning on what to do. He smirked, glad she could focus so hard on something not solely focused on Weasley.

"We'll need more room," she began, already pacing the space. "We can both work in here but I don't want my room a mess all the time."

"We can use part of my room?" he asked, his eyes following her every move. She looked absolutely delicious when she set her mind on something.

Hermione paused a moment, thinking it over. "Maybe, but that might be cumbersome to move things about like that. No, the common room may be better, though we don't necessarily want everyone seeing what we're doing."

He arched an eyebrow, leaning into the wall. "We don't?"

"Of course not!" she cried, wandering around the room again. "Just in case it doesn't work of course."

"Of course," he mimicked, playing along. She was already six steps ahead of where he was and he wasn't about to try and figure it out now.

Accessing the room one more time she turned and nodded to him with a smile, apparently pleased. "Well, we better get to work Draco. We have a lot to do."

 **A/N: After all the drama in the last chapter I thought we could end on a happier note this time. Let me know what you think! For anyone still confused about the drugs and what's going on, more will be explained in the coming chapters as they learn more.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Mentions of minor drug abuse.**

Two weeks came and went. Draco tried justifying the passing time, trying to keep his cool as one week flowed into two. Yet each day passed and nothing was heard about from Weasley, and the Ministry cracked down on students at school instead.

It was bleeding annoying to speak with Ministry workers all the time. Hermione spent a lot of time under their scrutiny, attempting to explain over and again that although Weasel liked the high of the drugs, she hadn't experienced it. Even being associated with the twit seemed to be enough to drag her down, and they were looking for a crack in her story. Anything to veer her attention away from the failed investigation for Weasel.

He swept his eyes over the bloke in front of him again, wondering what new kind of hell this was. The chap actually had the audacity to compare his hair earlier to the bleeding moon. Ha! His hair was much better than the moon.

"Tell me what happened again Mr. Malfoy," the old man said, his eyes overshadowed by the bushiness of his graying eyebrows. Draco clenched his hands, resisting the urge to hex those offending brows right off.

"I've told you three times," he snapped, eyes narrowing. "Just because you dunces keep losing the reports doesn't mean I have to keep reporting."

"It's protocol Mr. Malfoy," he said again, and Draco scrunched up his nose, attempting in vain to remember the older man's name. "We're trying to get to the bottom of this."

"You've accomplished nothing in the last fortnight," he reminded, sitting forward. "You do seem to waste a peculiar amount of time here at the school asking the same handful of people the same ridiculous questions. You've questioned Theo a dozen times in as many days."

"We want to keep the usage from spreading further through the school," bushy brows explained again. "Students already under the influence know more than those who do not."

"He's not a heavy addict."

"Perhaps not, Mr. Malfoy. But he may know more of the people working in the drug ring than most. Do you know anyone working in the shadows?"

Draco bit his lip, resisting the urge to kick him beneath the table. "I've already told you everything I know."

"You knew about the caravans," he continued, ignoring Draco's words completely. "And you knew where to find Ms. Granger when you went to find her, correct?"

He glared at the old man, but said nothing. Hermione may have guessed he once used the drug, but that didn't mean he needed to admit to it here. That only involved the war, and never thereafter. The information wasn't pertinent to what they were asking.

Bushy brows sighed, leaning forward in his chair to clasp his hands. "We can't get anywhere if you don't tell me the truth Mr. Malfoy. We've been very nice with all the students we've been questioning. It would be a shame if we had to resort to veritaserum to further our case."

Lip twitching, Draco felt his hand clenching tighten, nails digging painfully into the pads of his palms. "The use is illegal on school grounds. Even if most of us are of age we can't use it here. I can't believe the Ministry would suggest such a thing."

Sitting back, the old man scowled. Draco enjoyed this part of the interrogation the most, when he could get under the investigator's skin, not the other way around. "It hasn't come to that yet Mr. Malfoy. We will use all precautions we can to avoid using veritaserum, but if innocent lives are in danger of an uprising we must take action."

Draco scoffed, pushing away from the table. It was always the same rubbish. "I think we're done here."

Bushy brows sighed again, standing as well. "Very well. If you think of anything pressing, please do contact me Draco. A good, strong lead is all we need in this investigation."

His fingers twitched to react to the use of his first name, but instead he brushed the old man off, turning smartly on his heel to exit the space. The door banged shut behind him, and he didn't bother looking back.

He was terribly tired of the blasted investigations. The Ministry had no lead, and they likely wouldn't for a while. They were busy wasting their time here, bleeding the students dry with stupid questions. They probably knew less now about everything than they did in the beginning.

"You see ol' smelly again?" Blaise asked, spotting the blond as he passed. He fell into step beside his friend, ignoring the daggers shot his way.

"Same as a few days ago," he retorted, eyebrows drawing together. "They're wasting time asking us the same damn questions, when they should be out in Diagon Alley and the crossroads looking for people. There are so many other places they could be searching, but instead they are here, rubbing our brains raw."

Blaise smirked. "They only keep checking on us to make sure we don't get any big ideas. They don't want interference in their case."

Despite himself, Draco scoffed. "You can't honestly tell me the Ministry is planning ahead. They would forget about tomorrow if it wasn't on the bleeding calendars. There's no way they anticipate anyone interfering, especially here. They should be worried about people using the drug, not trying to fight it."

"Hermione is involved," he replied evenly, giving the blond a pointed look while ignoring the rest of what he said. "Potter too, and the Weasleys. They aren't exactly known for staying out of trouble, not to mention the rest of us." He shook his head, staring off down the corridor. "They are probably expecting interference. Besides, they've already narrowed down half of us who've used Willow's Weep. Of course, that doesn't account for Dragon's Breath, Sin-"

"We can't interfere with their plans if they aren't actually doing anything about what's happening," Draco snapped, eyebrows drawing together as he cut off his friend. The last thing he wanted to hear right now was discussion of more drugs. "They've wasted the past two weeks. It's nearly the end of October. Once the cold fronts come we won't be able to do much of anything. Tracking could be harder in the winter; people will stay off the streets and out of the cold. Besides, during the winter Willow's Weep is pricier."

"Everything becomes more serious for the addicts when they can't afford what they want," Blaise agreed, stuffing his hands into his pockets as they walked. "Pricing goes up, people suffer more. The Ministry should be thinking about that, not how many times they've come to see us. Really, people will be less controllable and more obvious to spot when they are no longer under the strong influence of the drug. But they have people focused inward too, working on the students here to see if someone will crack. They're hoping one of us knows more than we let on. That may or may not be true."

"It's not like anything's changed here," Draco continued, hopping on the bandwagon. "With the caravans gone there's really nothing supporting drug trade. Nowhere else in Hogsmeade would dare sell it. They just to find something out from one of us. Until they do they bloody well won't leave."

"Not that we can go to Hogsmeade anyway," Blaise muttered, shooting Draco a mischievous look. "They've cracked down on security so much that we can't even walk that far. It's fucking ridiculous. How can that old bat allow this?"

Draco frowned, thinking of the last conversation he'd had with the Headmistress. She was struggling at the time with what would come from the drugs being so close to the school, and although she worried about security then she didn't seem to want to put as tight of a hold on the school as there was. He believed this was much more the Ministry's doing than McGonagalls.

Speaking of security, it was a bit of a pain to deal with while trying to help Hermione modify the drug. So far there'd been complications with the Ministry and all the damn questioning, and it burned her out by the end of the day. He tried to refocus his mind, but he couldn't quite seem to draw himself away from the first time she'd returned from interrogation, looking crestfallen and on the verge of hexing something:

 _She stormed in, upending the poor foot stool by the sofa so she had something to kick, dropping her bag half on his textbook as she threw herself down beside him. Her hair was mushed on one side as though she'd been rubbing the side of her head a lot, but the tear tracks drew his attention the most. He sat up straighter, shoving aside his homework._

 _Didn't the bleeding Ministry understand that just this morning the Weasley's tore her apart? And now, after being forced into an interrogation this afternoon, she looked worse for wear._

" _What happened?"_

" _Oh, I'll tell you what happened!" she snapped, sitting straighter on the sofa. She nearly jumped towards him and involuntarily he leaned back, surprised by the amount of anger radiating off her. "They're blaming_ me _."_

 _Draco frowned, tilting his head. "Blaming you for what?"_

" _For what happened to Ron," she snapped again, getting up. "That stupid man, his condescending little attitude, he actually told me this would never have happened if the authorities knew of it. They could of course control the situation. They could use their stupid needles and their rehab and just fix him right up!"_

" _I don't-"_

" _But they wouldn't do that Draco!" she continued, speaking right over him. "I asked what they do to people who are addicted. Do you want to know the new procedures? They shoot you up with something different that turns you into a vegetable for a few days. It's supposed to drain everything right out of you. Does that sound better to you, really?"_

" _Um-"_

" _And because I didn't just turn Ron over now the Ministry thinks I'm using it too! Can you believe that?"_

" _It is the Ministry."_

" _So now they want to talk to me and get inside my head and see if I know anything else! What are they going to find out? That I'm trying to come up with a better solution than their shitty one?" She scoffed, throwing her hands up in the air again. "Yeah, fat load of good that'll do them."_

" _The Ministry likes control," he reasoned, stepping closer to her. She stopped him a moment, reaching out to grasp the sleeve of his shirt, pulling the fabric up to his elbow. He half expected her to be looking for the Dark Mark, but it was the wrong arm. "What are you doing?"_

" _They might be controlling but they know a few things," she muttered, studying his arm. "Did you know some people have a patch here now, on the skin of the wrist? It kind of looks like a tattoo, except it's a small willow. It works as a patch for Willow's Weep. They mentioned some other drugs, they have it too. To people who don't even use it, it looks like a decoration, not a contestant high."_

 _Draco nodded, frowning. She went from throwing herself around the room to eerily calm far too easily. "Why are you checking me?"_

 _Her eyes flicked to his for a moment, before dropping his wrist and turning away. "You used it once. I thought maybe… maybe it left the impression in your skin, like a calling card. It's different, something I haven't heard of before. I bet Ron hadn't either. With Lavender, he's probably learned a bunch more terrible things."_

 _Ignoring the bite in her voice, he moved closer again. "So what now? Did they conclude anything?"_

" _They're going to keep asking us questions," she vented, crossing her arms. "You too, and probably your friends as well. I imagine they'll sweep the student body if they can, bleeding waste of time it'll be. And bloody lockdowns! They are going to tighten security, try to keep people from having access. Do you even realize what this means?!"_

" _They care more about a drug parade than they did the threat of Voldemort?"_

 _She pushed him aside, glaring at him for his jab. "No. Tighter security means sneaking around. Damn it Draco, to get anything done we're going to have to sneak out for supplies!"_

He focused again when Blaise bumped him, the crowd growing increasingly tighter. He hated when the halls were crowded. But he hated the look on Hermione's face more that first night, the self-loathing and her hate towards the new Ministry showing. She hadn't been so emotionally stretched since, not with a bleeding interview every few days. She was still upset, and still vying for a way to prove the Ministry absolutely wrong, but things were slow. He was so lost in thought again, he barely noticed Pansy until she was right in front of them.

"I wondered where you two were," she giggled, catching Blaise's attention immediately. She threw back her hair, and he thought the dolt might accidentally fall over.

Draco smirked as they walked, watching Pansy fall into line beside Blaise, blathering on about something non-important. He fiend interest, glancing off into the distance as they talked. It was so rare for Pansy to speak to Blaise these days that he couldn't be bothered to interrupt. Blaise would have his head anyway.

Glancing sidelong at the duo he rolled his eyes, watching Pansy animatedly tell Blaise about whatever bothered her now. She wasn't lodged into Theo's side today, the biggest wedge between their friendship, but that could all change in a matter of minutes. Her interest was as wavering as most people's patience, and she'd flipped between Blaise and Theo for far too long. Bringing it up wouldn't do him any good; that just seemed to piss everyone off.

Detaching himself from his friends, he made to go back to the common room. Blaise would undoubtedly want some time alone with Pansy, and he was all too happy to oblige. Turning he was nearly gone when he noticed something on Pansy's wrist, something that drew his attention back.

She had a willow on the inside, one of those magic tattoos. It could be a semi-permanent mark, or something she'd had applied that would last. He blinked, nearly rubbing his eyes to double check before he caught himself. She was turned away now, neither of his friends paying him any mind. He wondered if this was something she'd recently gotten done. If his memory served him correct, she usually wore something bulky across the skin there.

He was down the hallway before he got carried away. This was just one more thing to add to his growing list of peculiarities. There was no way Pansy let herself slip so far…

* * *

"We need more than the supply closets can provide," Hermione said, stretching out across the newly empty section of her bedroom. She'd moved the heavy cabinet into the living room for the time being, placing a worktable in its place that she intended to fill.

He didn't think she'd clear such a large space. With everything going on, school included, they hadn't made nearly as much headway as he knew she wanted to with a solution to Willow's Weep. In fact, according to Hermione, they were behind schedule.

He didn't even know there was a bleeding schedule.

"It looks ridiculous out here," Draco called from the doorway, staring at the cabinet's new position. "It's massive and it doesn't belong in front of the bloody window. You can't shrink it at all?"

"I may need it for storage."

Draco shook his head. Leave it to Granger to remodel the place. Peering into her room again he scowled. All that bloody room and she couldn't keep the cabinet? He didn't know all this potion work would cause her wardrobe to visit the hallway. Doing a double take, he realized her _actual_ wardrobe was still inside the room, not lodged over this perfectly good window.

"And that's less obvious than hiding it in the corner of your room?" he snapped, the sarcasm leaking through. "You know, Blaise will positively lose it when he sees that. He already thinks we're in over our heads." The one thing he'd avoided speaking with Blaise about today was modification of the Willow's Weep. That was the only saving grace.

Hermione scoffed, glancing back at him as she arranged a few books on the table, straightening out her quill and parchment. He couldn't imagine why that was important. "Blaise thinks the whole idea is rubbish."

"And when exactly do you intend to tell your friends what you've got going on?" he persisted, stepping further into the room. She cringed but didn't respond, and he couldn't help shaking his head. From what he knew they didn't talk very much the past two weeks, which was odd. "You know they won't approve."

"That's why I haven't told them," she replied, turning to grin at him. It looked a little forced, like she was trying to convince herself of this. "Ginny… she isn't so much speaking to me right now as avoiding me. And Harry's right there with her. I don't know if she even knows what to do with me anymore." She sighed, and he could hear the defeat in her voice. "I think she hates me."

"I doubt she's just started hating you," he replied, crossing the room in three short strides. She was leaning on the desk now, fingers tapping uneasily on the wood. "If she didn't hate you in the beginning why would it change now?"

Hermione bit her lip, but this time she didn't seem to have anything to say. Instead she turned and hopped up on the desk, letting her feet dangle. "Because now she's seen how my silence tore apart Molly."

"That's due to Weasley," he argued. "His actions can't be justified, yours can."

"No they can't be," Hermione snapped, turning her eyes up to him. "I thought maybe I could justify everything for a while. But now I'm not even sure."

"That's the Ministry nonsense talking. They're getting into your head because you haven't been sleeping, and you keep taking people's patrols."

"I like having something to do at night," she grumbled.

He narrowed his eyes. "You like having an excuse to justify not sleeping. You're worried sick over everything, including the ingredients we haven't yet obtained." He glanced across her room towards the bathroom door. "I can't imagine how many more supplies we can fit in my cabinets. They're already filled to the brim."

"We need more supplies though. Not only that, but it would be really helpful if we could obtain a bottle of Willow's Weep. I'd love to examine another bottle and try and figure out what makes it so bleeding addictive. That's the real mystery. After that it's all a matter of countering it."

"And you think bringing in a bottle of that shite is a good idea?" he asked, scoffing. He leaned on the table beside her, resting his chin against her shoulder. Over the last two weeks he'd noticed how awkward she was with affection. He wasn't dumb enough to think that Weasley never showed her any, he was obviously smitten with her before the drugs won out. But in the past few months she'd grown to hate attraction and bodily contact, and Draco was still working out what she liked and couldn't stand. Sometimes it was hard to tell, especially when the blasted witch refused to sleep and her exhaustion made her irritable about _everything_.

She shrugged, leaning into him, his head lifting off to allow her the ability to move closer. "I don't know. There's a solution, likely an obvious one, that we're missing here. I just can't figure it out. Maybe getting a bottle of Willow's Weep is stupid, but the supplies we need aren't here Draco."

"I thought that was obvious where we'd get them. We just pop on over to Hogsmeade. If they don't have what we desire, Diagon Alley certainly will."

She jerked her head up, eyes widening at him. "We are not going to Diagon Alley. We aren't even supposed to leave the school."

Shrugging, he leaned back against the wall and pinned her with his gaze. "People never follow the rules. I thought you were good for breaking them. Besides, weren't we just agreeing the security around here is too tight? The caravans are gone, and so is the threat."

Unable to help herself, Hermione grinned coyly. He knew all about her multiple stints of escaping the school. "All right, but what's your point? We're the Heads. People will notice if we disappear. And obviously the caravans just being gone isn't enough. The Ministry's paranoid."

"We'll go this Saturday," Draco replied, smirking. "Everyone's always up late and neither of us have any duties that night, so long as you stop taking patrols. If your friends aren't speaking to you right now we can tell them to fuck off if they notice anything." He shrugged when she scoffed, but continued on anyway. "And mine won't give a damn. Besides, Saturday is a good day to go. The stores will be open later."

"What if we run into someone we know?" she asked, tilting her head. "Think about it: people are out there dealing these drugs, some former Death Eaters included. If even one of them recognizes us we could be in some serious trouble. And if we're going to Diagon Alley the danger increases. We aren't exactly people who blend into the background Draco; if someone dangerous spots us it may end badly."

"We're also some of the strongest duelists I know," he reasoned. "If something happens we can easily take care of it." He lifted her chin when she dropped his gaze, refusing to let her worry for even a moment. "And, if we do see Weasley, we'll magic the bastard until he can't move and drag him back. Letting mother Weasel chew his head off will be more than deserving. I'm sure you can even have a go."

She smiled at his attempt for humor, though it didn't really seem to work. She was more than worried about someone recognizing them, and whether it solely had to do with Weasley or not he couldn't tell. Obviously though, she would have troubles when they were out together. The best they could do was try to blend in.

Switching gears she grabbed his hand, attempting to change the subject. He'd noticed over the last two weeks when she wanted to avoid talking about something, she tried to distract him instead. As endearing – and on a good day enticing – as that was, he didn't much appreciate it when they were actually talking about something serious.

"Saturday is two days away," she continued, lifting his hand closer to her face, playing with the knuckles. "That's not a lot of time for inventory."

"You made a bloody list," he grunted. "What are you talking about inventory?"

"Well, I have to double check in the cabinets if-"

He scoffed, tightening his hand over hers. "This sounds like a lame excuse to locate my new booze cabinet."

She laughed then, gently smacking him in the chest as he released her fingers. "You idiot, I already know where that is."

"Oh do you?" he asked, arching an eyebrow as he smirked at her.

"Absolutely," she agreed, grinning. Hopping off the desk she grasped the back of his neck standing on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. "It's right beside your bed, so you can make a drink without getting up."

"No it isn't!" he scoffed, playfully grabbing her around the waist when she tried to escape. She leaned into him instead of pulling away, and his fingers splayed across her lower back. "That's way too obvious."

Hermione laughed, the first real laugh he'd heard from her all day. Throughout class she'd been her normal self, but she lacked the joy he recalled her having. Now she was laughing, and it was because of him. He felt a little flutter in his chest, and immediately banished the thought. Malfoy's did not get fluttering feelings.

She stood up again on her toes, drawing his full attention once more. Her fingers locked around his neck and she kissed him, and he relished in the feel. Out of everything these past two weeks, he definitely liked this the most.

He kissed her back, and felt her lifting up off the ground. Grinning into her lips, he tightened his grip. If he could just stay right there forever, he would.

* * *

Sneaking out of school was a lot harder in theory than it actually was. For one thing no one cared if they wandered around together anymore, which made traveling to their destination a lot easier. People had a bunch of rumors going around about them, so walking close together worked in their favor. And apparently Hermione's secret exit wasn't known to everyone, so the direction they headed wasn't crowded.

It was almost pathetically easy.

By the time they got to Hogsmeade it was just past eight. They'd forgone their uniforms for something casual that wouldn't draw them anymore attention. Slipping through the streets was easy, even on this windy night.

"It's nearly Halloween," she muttered, clutching at her cloak. Winter was coming, and October's winds pierced her clothing beneath. He watched her from the corner of his eye, smirking as her cheeks turned redder under each streetlight. "Temperature's dropping."

"It's been blustery for days," he recalled, following her down the path. They'd already checked two of the three news shops that might have what they were looking for, but thus far they'd been unsuccessful. The good thing was they were making great time. The bad? They weren't getting anything done.

By the time they'd succeeded in checking the last store it was nearly nine, and their luck was just as bad as before. She huffed as they left the establishment, grumbling beneath her breath about how useless the whole trip was.

"Should've started in Diagon Alley," she grunted, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "It's nearly nine; we've done nothing. People will miss us soon."

"No one's going to miss us," he reminded, dragging one of her hands up out of her pockets. Her fingers were cool to the touch, and he found it comforting to keep her warm as they walked. Even if she was irritable because they weren't finding anything, at least he got to spend some actual time alone with her. Usually there were too many students around, or something else going on, and they couldn't go places together without stares. Sure, disappearing through the halls was one thing. But if they stopped anywhere the looks never ceased.

They rounded the corner, intent on taking one of the local floos to Diagon Alley instead of apparating. He was nearly around the corner when her grip on his hand tightened and she froze, stalling his progress. Glancing back to look at her, he caught the look in her eyes.

"Hermione?"

She pulled hard on his arm, tugging him back around the corner. He didn't immediately see what was bothering her, not as his eyes swept the near empty street in front of them. People were either lodged in for the night or still out drinking at the Three Broomsticks.

Then he spotted her, and his surprise nearly caused him to lose grip of Hermione's hand. He managed to catch her escaping fingers, twisting her around so she couldn't go off after the girl in front of them.

He swore quietly. Apparently they couldn't just spend some time together.

Lavender darted across the road in front of them, and he couldn't believe their sheer dumb luck. Two weeks of nothing regarding Weasley, and the bint he ran off with is prancing through Hogsmeade. Draco nearly laughed at the stupidity of the situation but caught himself. Hermione was tense, ready to spring at any moment. Chuckling at her misery probably wouldn't help anything.

"We have to follow," she hissed, jerking in his grip. Letting her go was the safest option for him, he could already feel her wand jabbing into his thigh. But if he did that she'd just go running headlong into danger like usual.

But letting her go was just as stupid. She probably knew more than all the students cooped up in the school.

He let her go just as Lavender dipped out of sight ahead of them. Springing forward she shot him a glare, but it was half-hearted at best. She knew why he couldn't let her run ramrod. Together they quietly followed Brown, their footfalls quiet in the street. She led them around three more corners, keeping more to the shadows than the streetlights. Apparently she wasn't welcome openly here.

Draco's eyes kept darting around as they walked, looking for a trap ahead of them. If Weasley had any hold ups on her, then something could be waiting for them at the end of this journey. He worried the girl might be running them right into a trap. Weasel, despite how much he disliked him, seemed to be manipulative and persuasive when he needs to be.

Finally Brown stopped running, stopping near the outskirts of the town. She glanced around, as though expecting someone to pop out and catch her. She was right to be wary with everything going on. Instead she whistled once, steeling her back as best she could, shaking in the darkening world.

Grasping his hand again, Hermione shot him a look. "She's waiting for someone."

He nodded, keeping them back from Brown. She hadn't calmed since seeing the other girl, their intention for escaping school forgotten. For the first time in two weeks she was intent on something other than obtaining potion ingredients as quickly as she could.

"Maybe it's Ron-"

"Weasley wouldn't meet her here of all places," he hissed, never letting his eyes leave Brown. He worried if he did she might slip away if they got distracted. For all they knew, she wanted them to trail her, and that's why she risked running out here now.

But what good would tricking them do?

He was drawn out of his thoughts when another figure appeared, stumbling out of the trees. Draco was very familiar with this place; he'd spent a lot of time here when the caravans were around, and he doubted she showed up here by coincidence. His eyes narrowed, watching the approaching figure. They were taller than Brown by several inches, but the heavy cloak obscured any view of a face. Hermione grasped his hand tighter, and he could feel unease dripping off her.

"I could get in a lot of trouble you know," she hissed, speaking to the figure in the cloak. Gloved fingers reached forward and snatched something out of her hands, holding it cautiously, as though uncertain this was something he actually wanted. "You don't have to be so rude!"

The figure stuffed the item into an overlarge pocket, but Draco already had an idea what it was. "Here," he gruffed, the voice so familiar Draco's eyes widened. He stuffed some money into her hands, giving her a gentle shove back. "Now go."

"You're welcome," Brown grunted, crossing her arms. "You could be more grateful."

He shrugged, but Draco noticed the color of his eyes now beneath the cloak, and it confirmed his fears. Damnit, of course Theo couldn't keep away.

Theo. Fuck. How would he explain any of this the next time someone came investigating? If this already happened before, then Theo lied every time someone interrogated him. He shot a quick look at Hermione, realizing she'd come to the same conclusion.

"You should go before someone sees you," he snapped, turning to go. Half a step away he turned back, inclining his head in the lingering lights of the street. "I thought you said it was hard to get away."

"It's hard to get here," she corrected with a huff. "The Ministry's locking down on everything near the school. I won't be able to return for a while." She paused, and Draco could practically feel her mood shifting. "You could always come with."

"I told you before I'm not interested in whatever mukluk plan you've all come up with."

Draco exchanged a glance with Hermione, who no longer looked like she may dart out there. Theo apparently met with Lavender more than once, and she'd tried before to convince him to disappear from school. That in itself was unsettling. Who else did she talk to about disappearing? And who gave her the bloody idea in the first place to bother people still at Hogwarts.

He wondered if the drugs really did have that much of a hold on her.

"You'll change your mind," Lavender countered, and he could almost hear the smile in her voice. She turned from him, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she walked. Draco tensed, wondering if she would wander far enough to find their hiding place. He found that he had no reason to worry though, as she disappeared in the next few steps, apparating completely out of Hogsmeade.

His stomach churned. She could apparate out, so why didn't she apparate in?

They remained where they were another moment, watching Theo in the distance. He tore off the hood, scowling into the darkness. Draco moved to get up and confront his friend but Hermione didn't let go of his arm. He shot her a look, wondering what she thought she was doing. Theo was supposed to be getting _over_ the drugs, not sneaking them.

"Let me-"

"Look," she hissed, jabbing a finger away from her. He followed her index finger, expecting to see Theo preparing to inject himself with the drug. Instead the bloke turned and threw the damn bottle, letting it shatter off in the distance on a rock. Draco frowned, his arms slackening. That wasn't what he expected.

"What is he doing?" he hissed.

"I don't know," she whispered, letting go of him for the first time. Theo was gripping his hair now, pacing the space in front of them. "But I intend to find out."

 **A/n: Hello, hello! I apologize for the long delay, I wrote this chapter six times before I wrote a version I actually liked. Hopefully this chapter was worth the long wait and least. Let me know what you think! The next chapter will include more personal Dramione moments.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Warnings: Mentions of minor drug use.**

Hermione was almost out of their hiding spot when it happened. Theo, apparently at war with himself, spun and swore loudly, blowing apart a pile of nearby rubble.

If she was a lesser witch maybe she'd have something to be afraid of, but with the faintest flick of her wrist she blocked the flyaway bits of rock and board, Draco stepping up beside her. When the air cleared they realized Theo didn't yet know they were there, and he was faced away from them on the other side of the dark street quietly talking to himself.

"Stupid," he muttered, hands clenching and releasing as he walked. Exchanging a brief glance the duo quietly approached, careful to not let Theo know of their presence. "How could I fall for it again?"

"That's what I'm asking mate," Draco answered, grasping his friend's shoulder tightly as he spoke. Nott jumped and spun around, but the blond didn't bother with a disarming spell this time. Clearly he was too agitated to think straight, and Draco didn't waste a moment plucking his wand out of his slack grip. "And you should probably keep your guard up better if you're going to try sneaking out of the castle."

Theo's eyes widened, taking in the pair. He looked exhausted, dark bags gathering under his eyes. Draco knew the constant interrogations and badgering's were starting to get to him, and his will-power was slipping without the Willow's Weep and its destructive help but he hadn't had an opportunity yet this week to truly study Theo. The poor bloke looked like he was about to snap, either mentally or from sheer exhaustion, he wasn't quite sure.

Blinking, he seemed to compose himself, and he tried to straighten beneath the heavy cloak. "What are you-"

" _Theo_ ," Hermione seethed, interrupting whatever the poor boy was about to say. Her wand was gone, hidden again somewhere in her cloak. Without warning she shot forward, grasping the sweat-soaked front of his shirt to pull Nott out of his friends grip, stepping closer until she was breathing up into his face. "How could you come out here to meet with _her_?"

"Well I-"

"After everything that's happened how could you even speak to her?" she hissed, her other hand coming up to crinkle the fabric of his cloak. "This could be a set up! There could be people in the buildings watching us, or that bloody vial could have been _poisoned-_ "

"I don't think she'd bother with poisoning me," he reasoned, grabbing her fingers to detach her from his clothing. Despite his sweat-soaked outfit his hands were clammy, and the contrast caused goosebumps to rise on her skin. "They really need loyalty over death right now."

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, his eyes narrowing. "How would you know anything like that?"

Nott's lip twitched, and scared eyes glanced around their surroundings, as though he was just recalling where they were. Subconsciously his right hand moved to his forearm and began scratching. As the fabric rose up both students could vaguely make out red, raw skin beneath. He dropped his voice, his tone practically begging them to understand. "It's not really safe to talk out here. I'm already in enough danger for allowing the two of you to catch me."

"Brown's gone," she reasoned, ignoring the warning in his voice. "Why would someone else bother waiting around? Sounds like a waste of people to me. Besides, if someone was hiding nearby they would've acted by now."

He didn't look nearly as convinced as she hoped, and his eyes momentarily looked back towards the shattered vial, probably regretting his actions a moment ago. "Look… just – not here, okay? Back at Hogwarts. Less ears. Come on-"

"We aren't going back yet," Hermione interrupted, ignoring the look Draco threw her way. "We came out tonight for a reason and we aren't just going to go back empty-handed." She looked towards the shattered vial on the rock, the liquid inside having seeped into the stones beneath. There was no saving that now. "Pity you threw that away, Theo. I really could've used it to test my cure against."

"What?' Theo asked, eyebrows shooting up. "What are you going on about?"

"Nothing," Draco muttered, trying to meet Hermione's eyes for a second time. She was avoiding him completely, faced the other direction from where Lavender had come. Her posture was rigid, her jaw set as she looked at the empty space. Whether she'd admit it or not, seeing Brown shook her resolve. But she didn't look intimidated like he expected; there was the distinct glint of determination that wasn't there before, and he knew trying to get her back to Hogwarts would be a fight. "We still need to be somewhere."

He didn't believe they should continue looking tonight. With all the potion stores in Hogsmeade proving futile the next place to check was Knockturn Alley. If Brown was brazenly wandering around where anyone could spot her, there was no telling who else was creeping about. Hermione was frazzled, and if she was getting upset she may not keep a level-enough head to handle a sticky situation.

Or worse, they may run into the blasted Weasel himself out there. No, Draco didn't think it was a good idea to keep shopping, not tonight.

"We're wasting time," she said, turning back to the two men. "More shops will close the later it gets. We still need to get to the local floo. We can't just apparate. I'm not _that_ familiar with Knockturn Alley."

"You want to go to Knockturn Alley?" Theo asked, leaning towards the brunette. "At this hour? Granger, there are worse people wandering around than Brown. I don't know exactly who is involved, but I wouldn't chance a trip there this late at night."

"She's not going to listen," Draco argued, turning his full attention to her. "I can waste all my energy arguing with you or we can just go to the two damn shops and be done. Besides, it may be harder to get out of the castle next time."

 _Besides, she's been wanting to go to Knockturn Alley for hours. She's already ruled out Diagon Alley, and I doubt she'll heed me if I continue this banter._

She shot him a grateful look, but he could plainly see the skepticism in her eyes. Arguing with her would do them no good, and he would waste more time and energy trying to persuade her than it was worth. The longer they stayed out, the more dangerous this trip would be.

"But you're going back," Draco seethed, turning to smack Theo in the side of the head. "I can't believe you snuck past both me _and_ Blaise to get here, but it won't happen again. You're killing yourself Theo. This Willow's Weep is going to be the end of you. You were doing so damn well, why throw it all out now?"

"I'm not going back," he argued. "You need me. I have the most experience with the drug, I can probably help with whatever you're trying to do."

"You're not coming with because any bloke involved could recognize you wandering around with us, even people you aren't aware of." Draco reached up, indicating to his platinum hair. "I'm easy enough to spot, we don't need someone these rogues are openly communicating with tagging along. That's a bloody disaster. No, go back to the castle. Trust me, I'll be coming to find you soon as I get back."

"But-"

"Draco's right," Hermione interrupted, reaching out to grasp his hand. "We will move faster on our own anyway. Maybe you can help with my _potion_ later." She gave him a meaningful look, letting her features relax just a little even at his shocked expression. "Go back Theo. We won't be too long. Just please return so we know you're safe and away from anywhere you can get more of _that_. If you're not anywhere near the temptation it should be easier."

He opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out, apparently thinking better of whatever he planned on saying. He held up his hands, shoulders slumping. Merlin was he tired. "Fine."

Nodding Hermione turned, dragging Draco away as she went. She didn't want to stand there and argue with him. That broken expression of Theo's was a little too close to Ron's, and it was tearing at her.

She didn't speak again until they were out of earshot. "Do you think he'll go back just like that?"

Draco scoffed, keeping up with her hurried steps. "He better. He's destroying himself enough just by being out here."

Nodding she glanced back, noting Nott's vague outline in the distance. It didn't appear he had moved. Steeling herself she pushed forward, hoping he would heed their words and return. But the dangers of bringing him along were too high, and she couldn't give up the opportunity to get what she needed while they were out.

* * *

"I just don't understand how she contacted him," Hermione whispered, following Draco around the shop. Knockturn Alley was eerie at night, even more so than during the day. She'd tried shopping in Diagon Alley after a lot of persuasion on Draco's part, but the shops were either closed or didn't have anything she believed would help.

She didn't want to buy _dangerous_ ingredients per say; she just wanted to get things she believed would actually counteract the effects of Willow's Weep.

"No point worrying about it," Draco muttered as they headed towards the back of the shop. He pulled his hood just a little lower, well aware of how late it was. It was just past midnight, and he didn't trust Knockturn Alley this late. He hardly trusted it during the day anymore. But there were only two shops to check here, and he was fairly certain the other was already closed. This would be their last stop, and then he could drag her back to the castle.

The later it got the more worried he became.

"There's every reason to worry," she argued, peering at the shelves. "Who else is she contacting? Who do these rogue Death Eater's and the cartel have their nails in exactly?"

"Really shouldn't discuss it here," he hissed, looking around. Thankfully the shop was pretty empty this late, so he didn't believe anyone was around to hear. "I know you're upset, but at least wait until we get back."

Hermione huffed at his side, but didn't say anything else. She continued to shop in silence for several minutes as Draco peered through the shelves aimlessly, unable to follow her train of thought. He knew a rough idea of what they came out to purchase, but they'd already found all those ingredients at the front of the store. He wasn't sure what she was looking for now.

Towards the front a bell dinged, and he realized someone else was coming in. Strange that they were out so late with the store closing soon, but who was he to judge? He'd just about pushed the idea out of his head when he spotted the individual moving towards the counter, and he just about lost it.

Snatching Hermione's arm he covered her mouth to avoid the following yelp of surprise and pulled her further into the store, out of the line of vision of the front counter. His pulse was racing as he looked on, unable to put together exactly what he was seeing.

"What are you-"

"Shh," he whispered, letting her go as he pointed forward. She peered in the general direction he was pointing and froze.

An attendant at the front stepped out to greet the customer, smiling a toothy grin. It wasn't the shop owner, Draco was quite familiar with him and would've been spotted right away. No, he thought he recalled being told once this was his nephew or something.

"Good evening," the woman said, smiling to the attendant. "Nice weather we're having isn't it?"

"All evenings have been nice recently Mrs. Malfoy," the man replied, leaning his elbows on the counter. "What can I do for you tonight?"

Narcissa didn't respond right away, dragging one gloved finger over the items on the counter. She didn't seem aware that there were other people in the shop, and Draco wasn't about to let her know of their presence. He hadn't spoken to his mother since the start of the year, and he doubted now was the time for a reunion.

The blonde sighed, hugging herself as she focused on the attendant again. "You know, I'm hoping for an early snow this year. Something to cover all of London for a while is just what we need."

Draco frowned, wondering where this conversation was going. _Mother doesn't believe in small talk, and she's never out this late. What in Merlin's name is she doing here?_

The attendant smirked behind the counter, reaching down to pull something from the storage below. "I think I have just the thing. Same order as last time? That should bring a fresh storm to London soon enough."

His eyes widened, and Hermione shot him a look at that exact moment. They were talking in code.

"I certainly hope so," Narcissa said, pulling some coins from her bag for the clerk. "We shouldn't get our hopes up too high. We don't know how the _weather_ will go yet."

Grinning, the man nodded as he pocketed the coins, not looking down at the amount. "I suppose time will tell."

Narcissa left the store after that, disappearing back into the shadows as she drew up her hood and her strange package, shrinking it as she left to fit in her handbag. She never once looked towards the back of the store, and Draco wasn't sure if he was happy about that or not.

Glancing at Hermione, he nodded to the counter. "It's time to go." Without waiting for a response he hurried forward, his pulse quickening. He needed to get out of there now before he got the crazy idea to try and follow his mother.

He stood behind Hermione as she paid, mindful of his hair as he continued looking away. He doubted this man knew her, and even if he recognized her face Hermione had a nact for gently but firmly brushing people off when she didn't want to talk. He tried to listen to their words but couldn't keep his focus, the gears in his head spinning.

He recalled what McGonagall said to him some weeks ago, a little tidbit he'd done his best to ignore since that moment. _And your father says hello._ Lucius was on house arrest and would remain that way for an undetermined amount of time. Why was he contacting the headmistress he can't stand, and leaving vague uninteresting messages?

Draco glanced towards the door again, out into the dark alley barely lit by torches. His mother had limits on what she could do and where she could go for the time being. What the hell was she doing out here this late?

Gritting his teeth, he animatedly followed Hermione out the door, his thoughts elsewhere. He couldn't ignore it anymore. He was going to need to contact his parents.

* * *

By the time they returned to the castle time was creeping past two, and Hermione was beginning to sway on her feet. She hadn't been sleeping well even since Ron's disappearance, and she doubted her sleep would be anymore fitful tonight after everything that happened. She pulled her cloak around herself as the cold air of the fifth floor attached her skin, the tall windows and arches doing nothing to keep in heat.

Draco hadn't spoken a word since leaving the shop, and she doubted he would about the subject. He hadn't breathed a word about his parents the entire time they'd been roommates, and she got the feeling the relationship was strained. Whatever Narcissa picked up that evening looked sinister, and she really wondered what intentions the box had.

Badgering the attendant at the front hadn't done any good. He pretty much pretended the blonde never came in, and even when Hermione tried to be sweet he still gave her the cold shoulder. They'd have to find out on their own what his mother purchased.

Clearing her throat, she tried to make light conversation. "We got a lot of good things tonight. I think tomorrow we will really be able to make some progress. Maybe Theo was right, he might be able to tell us if anything we are doing works."

Draco scoffed, shoving his hands down further into the pockets of his cloak. "I don't think testing a bunch of experimental cures on people is the best way to go. Some of the craziest wizards in Azkaban ended up there due to this kind of nonsense. No, I have no bloody idea how we will actually test the potions but doing too many tests on any person can actually drive them insane."

Biting back a retort, Hermione fingered the bags in her hands. He wasn't wrong, but she didn't want to admit that it would take more than one try to see successful results. How was she supposed to know if they were going in the right direction if they didn't have someone to run the tests on? They were trying to use ingredients that didn't cause harm, but she had no way to know without a test subject if their remedies would actually do any good.

"Anyway," he continued, still lost in his own thoughts, "I better go find Nott. I didn't spot him in Hogsmeade, but that doesn't mean he actually went back to the common room. If he didn't it's going to be a long night for me and Blaise."

"I'm sure he went back," she reasoned, stepping closer to nudge his arm. "Theo's not bad at heart, he's just a little lost. Even if he stayed longer than he should have I'm sure he's back in the school by now. Don't worry so much, at least he still has _most_ of his sense about it."

Draco frowned, reaching out to grasp her hand. He didn't want her focusing on Weasel, even if he knew her thoughts would ultimately head that direction. "You should get some rest tonight. Staying up late to fight with those ingredients will not do you any good, and you'll just be exhausted when Potter comes to find you later. It's Sunday now isn't it? I thought he had plans to spend the day with you and the she-weasel."

"Ginny," she retorted, squeezing his hand tightly. "And I suppose you're right, Harry will worry if I'm exhausted for no reason. It's not like I've really told him our plans. Besides, he's got Ginny to handle, and he's keep Molly and Arthur at bay for the moment. I actually owe him some of my undivided time."

Smiling, he continued leading her down the hallway, finding his way to their dorm room shortly after. Hermione was beginning to drag, and he could feel his eyes growing heavy. Still, he wouldn't be resting for quite some time. Theo was his next priority.

Helping Hermione place all their purchases in the cabinet, he was careful to keep track of the time. The later it got the greater the possibility that Theo would just head off to bed, and he couldn't just go storming through the dorms at nearly two.

"Don't stay out long," she muttered, brushing her hair out of her face, the wind having done a number on its fluffiness. She stepped closer, placing her hands on his chest so she could lean up and press her lips against hers, smiling when is arms wrapped around her to draw her closer. She loved their intimate moments, the feelings so much gentler and sweeter than what she experienced with Ron. "I'll miss you being here."

He smirked, running his fingertips down her spine. She wasn't like the brazen girls he was used to dating, she was much softer and not trying to rip his clothes off at every opportunity. However it was late, and his mind was wandering to dangerous places.

Kissing her tenderly on the forehead he stepped out of her reach, tugging at the cloak he still wore. "Don't tempt me, it's already late and I could stay right here with you."

She smiled, watching as he headed to the door. Only once the door fell shut and the spells to keep people out were in place once more did her body sag, reminding her of how exhausted she was. Turning to the cabinet and her supplies, she steeled her resolve.

"A little bit of work tonight won't be the end of me," she muttered.

* * *

The Slytherin common room was nearly empty at this hour. A couple first years were passed out in one corner, a few fifth or sixth years lost in some sort of heated argument in another. In the farthest corner Draco spied his target, ignoring the glances his house shot his way. He almost never came to the common room anymore.

"I was beginning to think Theo had lost it," Astoria muttered, standing with Draco approached. Her dark tresses were pulled back into two perfect brains, and she played with one as she approached. "You never come to play anymore Draco dear."

"Are you high?" he grunted, glaring down at the younger Greengrass. She giggled and swatted his arm, skipping around the circle of chairs.

"Not _exactly_."

"She's either high or drunk I'm not really sure," Theo muttered as Draco took the chair at his side. "It's at least partially the alcohol's fault. She was cartwheeling a few minutes ago."

"At least I missed that," he muttered, watching the Slytherin girl spin in several circles beside them. Her arms were bare despite the chilly room, and Draco focused on her wrists. He didn't see the Willow tattoo he thought he'd spotted on Pansy the other day, so maybe she really was just drunk off her arse.

"There's a little left if you want some," Theo continued, reaching down beneath the table. A large bottle appeared and shook the wood as he messily dropped it on the surface, his hands shaking as he searched around for a glass.

"I'm fine," Draco replied, shooing Theo's hands. He peered around, noting that Blaise wasn't anywhere around. "Zabini already turn in?"

Theo's expression darkened for a moment. "Pansy dragged him off to the dorms a little while ago." Shooting a look at Astoria, who was now lounged on a sofa several feet away, he leaned a little closer. "She was definitely blazed. Blaise knew she hadn't had a drop of alcohol today, yet she had this dreamy expression and kept tripping."

Frowning he leaned back in his seat, troubled to hear that Pansy was still able to get high. He wondered if that would deter things with Blaise, especially if the bloke realized what was making her so giddy. "So others are able to still get the drunk?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"Yes, I don't think I'm the only one Brown's been in contact with. There seem to be others working for the cartel, and they have connections to students who want to forget." Inclining his head towards Astoria, he clenched his hands together. "Greengrass used to buy for me when you two blokes wouldn't let me purchase anymore. Daphne's really been cracking down on her the last couple weeks, so she hasn't been able to get away with anything. I think Daphne slacked tonight. I'm almost sure she has some of it in her system."

Draco nodded, watching Astoria roll back and forth on the couch until she fell off. Stiffing a laugh he turned his attention back to Theo, who had dark backs under his troubled eyes. "I'm more interested in why _you're_ slipping."

Sighing, he dragged his nails over each arm in turn, seeming to lose himself for a moment. "I noticed Pansy yesterday, she was practically floating. She kept telling me that she was getting better drugs than before.

 _Of course that bint is telling Theo this, they used to get high together. But why would she even waste her time?_

Theo wiped his hands on his pants, beginning to sweat. "She said that Lavender Brown sent her an owl, saying she could get her what she wanted if they arranged a little meeting. She went and I'm almost positive she got more that day, maybe even earlier today too. Pansy as some sort of in with all of them that I just don't understand. Have you seen her wrists lately? She's started wearing these awful noisy bracelets. I think she's hiding something."

Thinking of the tattoo he'd seen Draco chose to remain silent, glancing in the direction of Astoria again. She hadn't gotten back up off the floor. "Why are these people bothering to contact anyone here? In Hogsmeade earlier you said something about loyalty."

"Yes I did," he replied, wetting his lips. "A lot of the people under the drugs spell would do anything to get more. I think Weasley proves that. I don't really know who is being affected, I just have an idea. Pansy and Astoria are definitely influenced. Some of the sixth and seventh years too. I don't know who else, and I definitely don't know anything about the other houses. Maybe we should try talking to one of them, they may be willing to spill."

Draco scoffed, noting Astoria still hadn't gotten up. Even from his position he could hear her soft snores. "I don't think any of us have a persuasion technique that's going to work with them. At any rate I don't care what their interests are in this mess, I just want to keep you clean. Did you even tell Blaise? I doubt he'd go running off with Pansy if he knew the truth.

Theo blushed, and Draco knew he was right. He didn't want to admit to anyone that he'd caved. "Lavender didn't see me throw the vial, she may contact me again. I'll let you know if it happens, but I'm not telling the Ministry. They are fucking up things enough as it is. They will come down on me if they found out I'm hiding something, and I'm not about to go through their interrogations any more than I have to."

"Can't say I blame you there. Just don't keep doing this shit Theo. Look what it does to people. Weasley lost his fucking mind. Astoria's doing acrobatics through the damn common room. Pansy sort of has a grip on herself when she's under the influence but if I'm honest with you I don't think she takes the entire high all at once. This Willow's Weep is trashing people's lives. You're doing well with breaking your habit. If Hermione has her way she'll find a humane cure. Things will get better if you just stop running after this shit all the time."

"I know, it's just hard." He ran a hand through his hair, looking around the common room. "It's easier when there aren't reminders, but all the questioning we are going through just throws it back in my face all the time. And then I see others using it, and it just diminishes my resolve." He reached out, flicking the mostly empty bottle in front of him. "This helps to curve my cravings, but not as well as before. It would be nice to actually drink and enjoy it for once."

Nodding he stifled a yawn, glancing at the clock. Time was creeping towards three. "Well, at least you're not wandering around Hogsmeade like a moron or I'd have to go interrupt Blaise to save your arse." He cringed at that visual, standing to stretch his legs. "Make sure Astoria stumbles back to her room, will you? I don't want to hear about how we left her on the floor tomorrow."

"Yeah, sure," Theo muttered, reaching for the bottle. He threw back another gulp as Draco prepared to leave, cringing at the taste. "I'll see if I can't get Pansy to spill something tomorrow."

"Perhaps let Blaise try that if he's in a good mood," Draco replied, headed towards the door. "And go to sleep! I don't want to hear about your sorry arse sleeping there all-night either."

He didn't turn back to see Nott's grin, practically stumbling out of the common room as exhaustion overtook him. He definitely wanted to get back to his bed, and maybe make sure a certain brunette was snuggled safe in hers.

Wandering through the corridors his thoughts drifted to Hermione, and all his feelings. He wasn't used to feeling so much for any one person, and definitely not someone he hated for most of his life. Now she was making him feel things, and it even appealed to sections of his body other than his manhood. While he did like her, he definitely didn't know what to do with all these new reactions.

And on top of that, her prior boyfriend was an abusive drug user. If he ever crossed a line how was he supposed to know ahead of time?

Draco kept thinking to himself all the way back, distracted as he opened the common room. It took him a moment to realize that the common room was still way too bright, and Hermione's room wasn't. Glancing at the cabinet he sighed, noting the large amount of items strewn around the open shelves. Approaching he realized she'd pulled up a chair and was making _another_ inventory list, the evidence now lying across the ground where she'd dropped it upon falling asleep. Hermione herself was propped uncomfortably against the cabinet, sleeping quietly.

He suppressed a chuckle, making his way over to her past the small mess she'd created. Reaching out he was about to shake her awake when he thought better of it, glancing at her sweet sleepy expression.

 _It'd be such a shame to wake her up._

Ignoring all those uncomfortable _emotions_ he was still adjusting to Draco steeled himself, effortlessly sweeping the sleeping girl into his arms. He thought over every cheesy romance moment that made girls swoon in books, and ignored the fact that he was falling dangerously close to that category. He'd been in her room enough times now to know where the bed was, and navigated his way there without a problem.

She didn't wake when he set her on the bed, struggling to pull her sheets back with one hand in the dark. When he finally succeeded and set her down he searched for his wand, lighting the room in a soft gold glow so he could properly cover her.

Poor thing looked like she hadn't slept well in ages. Sharing a dorm with her, he knew she hadn't really. He reached out to brush back some of her hair that had fallen across her face, absentmindedly stroking her cheeks as he did so.

His actions woke her up.

She stirred in her sleep, causing the blond to still his motions. For a brief moment he thought he'd get away with his gentle touches and began to pull away, but stopped when her hand shot out and caught his wrist, brown eyes fluttering open.

"Draco?"

She was definitely groggy with sleep, and he couldn't stop the smirk that graced his lips. "How'd you know it was me?"

"Well your glowing hair in the light helped narrow down the options," she muttered sarcastically, tugging at his arm. "How late it is?"

"Somewhere around three," he replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "It looked like you were going to break your neck off out there, so I brought you in. Don't think on it; I just didn't want to hear your sarcasm first thing in the morning that I left you there."

Hermione laughed softly, her other arm reaching out for his opposite. She scooted over some in the bed, her eyelashes leaving shadows on her cheeks when she dropped her gaze. "Don't go just yet."

He frowned, surprised by her words. When he was carrying her in here he had a small fear that she'd hex him for trying something so bold. Now she was inviting him to stay. "You sure about that?"

Rolling her eyes her tugs became more persistent, practically dragging him down beside her. "You know I'm not a kid anymore right? I wouldn't invite you to stay if I wasn't sure I wanted you here. Don't get any dirty ideas now, I just like your company."

He smiled, casting aside his wand as he snuggled in beside her. Her bed was much squishier than his, decorated with more pillows. A total girl's bed. He placed one arm behind his head, smiling to himself when she snuggled in beside him, dragging her covers up over the both of them, shoes and all.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"Why exactly do you want me to stay here tonight? I mean, you can't really appreciate my good looks while you're asleep."

She swatted him lightly on the chest but didn't lift her head. "You make me feel good Draco, even just having you nearby. I enjoy your presence. I thought, maybe, you would be able to help me sleep."

He smiled then, wrapping an arm around her to pull her just a little bit closer. It wasn't long before her soft snores filled the space around them, and Draco fell into blissful sleep soon after.

 **A/n: Hello readers *shrugs sheepishly*. I don't really have a good reason for being absent for so long, other than some amazing things happening in my life and writing sort of got pushed to the wayside. Anyhoo, I'm back and I have every intention of finishing this story to it's proper end.**

 **Don't fret, it won't end for a while still.**

 **I might even get inspired to write more stories, we will see how things go.**

 **Anyway, thank you to all that read and reviewed this story, even in my absence. I appreciate the dedication to this story and that's the main reason I've decided to resume writing this story. Until next time dear readers.**


	15. Chapter 15

"Bloody hell," he muttered, crumbling up the letter in his hands. How he could let this little note go unread for so long he didn't understand, but it was his. Pressing his hands together he had to resist the urge to throw the damned thing into the fire.

It was Monday morning and he should be focused on getting ready for class. Instead here he was finding lost mail in his room, and getting screwed over for it. Glancing around the common room he wondered why he didn't grab a drink before opening this. He knew it would be bad so why skip that detail? Closing his eyes he reread the letter in his head, every little word imbedded in detail.

 _Draco,_

 _We so miss you at home. It would be lovely if you could stop by over the holidays, I know things are rough between you and your father, but I think it would do him some good to see you again. He's been acting very peculiar the last few days since you went back to school. He keeps talking about something called "Willow's Weep" but I haven't been able to convince him to tell me what exactly he is talking about. He just stays in the east wing of the Manor all the time now._

 _How are your studies coming? Remember, keep your nose clean. We need to keep our name out of the tabloids for a while so we can rebuild our reputation._

 _Please write back soon._

The letter was from over a month ago. He hadn't focused much on incoming mail with everything else going on, and he predicted ahead of time that this would be a mess of a letter.

But the letter was old now, which might explain what Narcissa was doing in that shop the other night. As far as Draco knew she didn't have an addictive personality, not like his father. If she was purchasing Willow's Weep, and she did have an idea of what it was now, then his father was the addict

And he was at home all day with just his mother.

Draco leaned back, trying to rub the exhaustion out of his eyes. He had class in a little less than an hour and all he could focus on was his mother's letter, and the fact that he hadn't replied at all.

"What are you going to do?" Hermione whispered in his ear. She was bent over the back of the couch, and had been since he dragged the letter out. He couldn't avoid her if he tried. She was always able to

"I have no bloody idea," he signed, rolling his eyes as he stood. "What am I supposed to do? I can't just show up over there and expose my father, or better yet just kill him. The Ministry already thinks I'm involved; if word of my father being addicted gets out they really will think I'm affiliated."

Hermione rolled her eyes, walking around the couch to stand beside him. "You aren't going to kill Lucius, even if it is the simplest idea. But you do need to go see your parents. Maybe they know something about the affiliates that could help track people down."

He snorted, taking a step back. "If either of them know, they won't tell. Going won't make a damn difference."

"And we didn't think going out to buy potion ingredients would be helpful either," she pointed out. "We got lucky that Lavender was out there with Theo, and we got a little more insight on what's going on." She sighed, her shoulders sinking a little. "If we caught her we would know so much more than we do now. Your parents, specifically your father, might have more answers. At this point we don't really have any leads. With the caravans gone outside we don't' know where people are, and obviously they are being as secretive as possible. Maybe all your father's past connections will be beneficial now."

Draco scoffed, shaking his head. "You seriously think he's going to talk to me about that? Ever since I stopped following Voldemort father hasn't shared a word of anything with me. After the war he withdrew into that damn house, and with his sentencing he can't leave. If he has connections to Willow's Weep and the sellers, then people are either giving it to my mother or coming to the Manor."

Nodding, she tried to figure out what to say. Her encounters with the Malfoy's were shaky at best, and she knew little of what made them tick. How to convince either of them to talk with Draco about the Willow's Weep was tricky, and going about it straight on probably wouldn't work.

Besides, she didn't want to be part of that conversation. Anytime she'd encountered Lucius in the past he was either thinking about killing her or actively trying to kill her. Malfoy would have to handle this one on his own.

"Maybe you should make a plan to see them," she reasoned, snatching the letter out of his hand. "This sat for a month anyway, it won't make a difference if it sits until the weekend again. Come on, we have to go. Harry will give me hell if _I'm_ late to class again."

Despite himself Draco couldn't help smirking, trying to picture Potter of all people being more studious than Hermione. "Alright, but I really don't see why we have to run off to class. It's only Monday, and honestly we aren't going to do anything all that important in class today anyway."

Shaking her head, she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door. "We are still going to class Malfoy, even if you think it's lame."

* * *

Hermione just couldn't focus. It was already her third class of the day, and she just didn't know what was going on. Ginny usually sat behind her in this class, but unsurprisingly she was still avoiding her. Their relationship wasn't nearly as rocky as hers with Molly, but it still wasn't what she expected.

Whatever potion they were supposed to be preparing for was lost to her. She was taking her own notes on the Willow's Weep, and all of the previous pages were crossed out with her failed attempts. The juvenile potion this teacher wanted to make was nothing compared to what she was trying, and she couldn't get into the lecture today.

She just needed to find the right ingredient. Everything combined just fine but presently she hadn't seen one single change in the Willow's Weep she tested it on. She couldn't chance trying to help Theo until she knew the potion was stable…

Glancing at her lab partner today, she tried to figure out if she could be her next target. Parkinson somehow ended up sitting right next to her, and today she looked especially zoned. Hermione knew she was high on the drug, but she couldn't just make a big deal out of it.

The investigators were finally leaving students alone because they couldn't find any leads. She wouldn't jeopardize the peace she finally felt at not being harassed all day just to get Pansy caught. They arrested the students deemed to be addicts, and no one knew if they were at St. Mungo's or Azkaban now.

She didn't necessarily want to know. Either way she wouldn't feel right about the answer.

By the end of class she had no idea what the assignment for tomorrow was, and even less of what she should do next with the Willow's Weep cure. She tried to get up and follow Harry and Ginny out of the room, Draco already lost somewhere out the door, when someone caught her arm.

"I need to talk to you," Pansy said, her voice sickeningly sweet. She had never once in her life touched Hermione and that fact alone caused her to freeze. As far as she knew, Pansy hadn't gone through any reform about Muggleborns, so why would she bother to grab her arm?

"Okay," Hermione replied, shooting her a wary look. "Go ahead."

Giving her a pointed look Pansy dropped her arm and headed towards the back door, swiftly disappearing from sight. Huffing she followed along, stuffing her notes into her bag before she got any questions.

Pansy rounded a corner into an alcove just outside of the classroom and she hesitantly followed along, ignoring the look Draco shot her from the other side of the hall. He got roped into helping Theo this morning with Blaise, and she hadn't gotten to talk to him since.

"What is this about Parkinson?" she asked, stopping just inside the space. She didn't trust this pretty girl, not when she knew so little about her.

Frowning, she crossed her arms. "You don't have to be so uptight, I just want to talk."

"About?"

She grinned, shaking a finger. "You know, I am friends with Blaise and Theo. Draco too when he's around. I hear things."

Hermione stilled, already prepared for this conversation to end badly. "Things like what?"

"Like your obsession with Willow's Weep of course!" she cried, her voice bouncing off the hollow space louder than Hermione preferred. "Blaise told me you have this inane idea to cure addicts."

"It's my end goal," the brunette replied, narrowing her eyes. "Though I don't know why you would care."

Pansy frowned, tilting her head to the side. "Don't play pretend with me Granger. I know Draco's been sharing all the juicy details of his addict friends with you."

Surprised, she found herself at a loss for words. No one actually confronted her about that. "Well yes-"

"And I also know that you are trying to make something that won't turn us into vegetables," she continued, dropping her arms. Hermione realized she was shaking, her fingers twitching back and forth and she stood there. The nails were chewed down to the quip and not nearly as neat as she expected. Usually she wore bracelets but today her wrists were bare, and the longer she observed the Slytherin she realized she had a willow tattoo on her inner wrist.

She was an addict, heavy enough to have the brand. Well that would explain all the shaking.

"Will it make me stop itching too?" she asked, stepping closer. "I _cannot_ keep itching my skin. It's absolutely ruining my sides."

"Your sides?" she asked, eyebrows knitting together. Pansy jerked at her blouse, pulling the fabric away from her skirt to reveal angry red lines down one side of a flat stomach, and in places she appeared to have ripped small chucks of her skin out.

Hermione didn't remember seeing marks like that on Ron or Theo, but that didn't mean they weren't there. The Slytherin pulled her blouse back in place, backing away as she stared.

"Blaise told me to talk to you," she explained, crossing her arms once more. "H-he didn't want to sleep with me after seeing the marks. Said I had to stop taking."

"And Blaise thought I could help you?"

"Well you're trying to help that stupid Weasel aren't you?"

"Ron's _not-_ "

"He beat the shit out of you," she interrupted, silencing Hermione immediately. "I haven't even talked to you this year. You could at least help me out. You're helping Theo too, aren't you? It won't be anymore work to help me."

"H-how did you know that?"

"Oh please, Draco shared all the details with Theo and Blaise weeks ago. Blaise just likes to share them with me." She made a face, clenching her hands together again. "I think he's trying to convince me to quit but that isn't working, so now he's just trying to scare me. Look, I can't ruin my skin. Blaise didn't want to _touch_ me when he saw the missing flakes. I can't have that happening! No one's ever looked at me so pitifully before. So I need your fancy little cure so I don't keep clawing parts of me away."

Blinking, Hermione tried to follow Pansy's reasoning. She wasn't afraid of being addicted but ruining her looks. Other than her nails you couldn't immediately tell anything was physically wrong, but if she started digging at her arms like she was her sides people would take notice.

"You really want help?" she asked, thinking of the other Slytherin students she was now helping. "And you're not going to rat me out to those damn investigators for involvement?"

"I'd be digging my own grave if I did that," she snapped, glaring at the brunette. "Besides, they've pulled back from the school since they aren't getting anymore leads. The Death Eaters leading the cartel probably think there are better people to aim at then a bunch of students. They've all turned their attention elsewhere. You shouldn't have anything to worry about."

"How do I know I can even trust you?"

"You trust Draco don't you? He wouldn't have told me if he thought you'd be in danger." She rolled her eyes, pushing her long locks behind her shoulder. "He's completely enamored with you. The last thing he's going to do is put you in a dangerous situation."

Pausing for the second time, she shot Pansy a look. "He's… enamored with me?"

Parkinson grinned, enjoying the look of surprise on the Gryffindor's face. "He may not have said it in so many words, but it's obvious whenever he comes into the common room and talks about you. Or better yet, I can always tell just how infatuated he is when I go ask Theo."

"Oh," she replied, not quite sure how to respond. She really liked Draco, but she hadn't investigated those feelings much with everything going on. Besides, the last guy she thought she could love fell off the deep end.

And she definitely wasn't going to admit to _Pansy_ of all people how she really felt about Draco.

"If I find a real cure I plan to share it with everyone addicted," she continued, deciding to let Pansy's words hang in the air. "You included. But I don't have a solution right now. I don't even know what makes it so addictive."

"I maybe able to help with that," Pansy continued, tilting her head. From inside one of her cloak pockets she produced a bottle and tossed it to Hermione, who barely caught it. "I have to go more out of my way now to get my fix, but I still manage. I got that the other day, there isn't any left though. You may like the back though."

Hermione shifted the bottle in her hand, the glass cool on her palm. The bottle itself wasn't the cleanest thing, but the back had some slightly smeared writing. During it around she stilled, whipping her head up again to stare at Pansy.

"How did you get this?"

She grinned, shrugging slightly. "I have my ways. My dealer is very… _sweet_ on me. I told him the woes of trying to get from school to Diagon Alley and how dangerous it was and the sap gave me the ingredient list. He just made me promise to keep it 'secret'."

Eyes widening, she couldn't actually believe this was Pansy. The girl who wanted to give up Harry Potter was being nice and helping her. She'd done something Hermione never could because no one was just going to _give_ her the ingredient list. "Pansy, that-that's amazing."

"Well it better mean something," she huffed, starting to rub at her arms. "I want a cure sooner than later. And that shop owner was so creepy. You're lucky I was even able to bribe him."

Hermione smiled, surprised at Pansy's willingness. Leave it up to such a vain girl to become proactive when her looks were in jeopardy. Still, she couldn't argue with her when she was able to accomplish such an amazing feat.

"Right after classes end I'll start working," she promised, tucking the vail into her bag. "Please don't say anything to Theo, he's trying hard to fight this addiction but I don't want him thinking I suddenly have a cure. Just because I know what to counter doesn't mean I know it'll work right away."

"Yeah well, the sooner the better." She dropped her gaze, and for a moment Hermione thought she looked regretful. Rubbing her side gently, she noted it as the same place missing skin. Maybe getting turned down by Blaise hurt more than she wanted to admit.

"I'll do what I can," Hermione replied, giving the Slytherin a gentle smile. "Just give me time."

* * *

 **A/n:** Kind of a filler/development chapter. I had more written but it was a crazy long chapter and this was the nicest place to cut without leaving a huge cliffhanger. It's shorter than I would've liked, but now I have half of the next chapter done so it shouldn't take 3 months to update! Let me know your thoughts on this one. And I promise the next one does focus on more Dramione moments.


	16. Chapter 16

Hermione stared at the ingredient list Pansy gave her, broken down into several new lists that included counters to the different components and the likelihood of a counter working with the other ingredients. It was a grueling task to concoct an extensive list like this, and all the different pieces of parchment were lining the wall above her work station so nothing could be misplaced.

All in all, she was satisfied with her organization. Knowing the ingredients in the drug was half the battle. Most were everyday ingredients, things she could find around the school or even on the castle grounds. However looking at her addiction list, she knew she'd been right from the start.

Willow's Weep actually had trace amounts of meth infused into the drug. Alcohol was more prominent, and Hermione wasn't even sure it mattered what kind of liquor, just so long as it was there overpowering the meth. No wonder people got hooked so easily. The affects weren't like a tweeker, they _were_ the effects of a tweeker. The only differences in addiction seemed to be the infusion of other ingredients, which she understood to give the user a better and longer high.

It also appeared to cause the instant withdrawals and anger. The concoction was more aggressive than the muggle version, and it appeared to have a stronger hold on the user.

That had to be the reason why rogue Death Eater's could use the substance to their advantage. An army of people tripped out, willing to do anything to keep their high going? She'd heard of people detaching when they are high, not even realizing what they were doing when under the influence.

 _Disassociation_. That's what she originally classified Ron's behavior as, an out of body experience he couldn't recall, didn't believe and certainly didn't regret. He'd proven that disassociation was not the case however, especially when he could recall incidents that she thought he was too high to remember.

The excuse wouldn't work, and it wouldn't justify what these high people did when influenced. The Ministry wouldn't give them pity if they decided to act out to get more of the Willow's Weep. Without the influence most people seemed to have their morals intact, but when high it was questionable.

Her hands pressed down onto the desk, shoulders shaking. Ron was the perfect example. In a proper state of mind he would not even humor the idea of drugs, much less siding with the enemy. But his judgment was clouded, and in the wake of so much death she didn't know what kinds of extremes others would go to cope.

It would be messy, even if she could somehow figure out how to correct a drug that no one else really understood. Throw alcohol into the mess and she was surprised more people weren't dead.

She sighed, sitting down at the desk. With no concrete solutions for meth addiction, she was back to square one. That was the big issue, the one really deterring her from finding a solution.

 _Think Hermione, it's got to be here somewhere. People are so lost in the mindless benefits of the drug they seem to forget the damages done. The more time wasted, the more people will die._

She didn't look up when the door opened, knowing exactly who had arrived. Draco was due back, having spent time down in the Slytherin common room earlier. It gave her plenty of time after class to clear her head and make notations.

"Busy?" Draco asked, stopping by the desk to look at her handiwork. She'd already made a pile of the ingredients she had on hand to try and counteract, and was busy scribbling notes about anything else she could need.

"Just getting my thoughts in order," she replied, not looking up. She'd need a couple more supplies, but nothing she could worry about tonight. "Pansy was very helpful."

He made a noise at that, already well aware of her encounter. He didn't agree with Pansy's habits, but he couldn't argue that her deep seeded obsession helped them out. "Any luck?"

"I wouldn't call it luck, just a lot of notes."

Draco smirked, glancing over all the notations she'd done in a few short hours. Most of this rubbish would give him a headache. Her notations all seemed thorough, and he could tell a lot of thought –

Distracted, he picked up a piece of paper partially hidden under some others. The bottom half really caught his attention, dates marked beside some sort of gibberish she'd written shorthand. The title really caught his attention.

 _Divination_. From what he recalled from year's past, she didn't believe in rubbish one bit. The last date was a couple weeks ago, around the time Weasley disappeared. But other dates appeared from earlier, so this list probably didn't have to do with him.

"Who are you scrying for?"

Hermione stopped what she was doing, glancing back to stare at him. Her hand snapped out to take the paper from his hands but he was a little quicker, jumping back just out of her reach. Her cheeks were tinging red, embarrassment or anger taking over.

"Give that _back_."

Draco arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms as the paper wrinkled in his hand. "I seem to recall someone making fun of divination for the better part of… forever. What could you possibly be doing with this? I'd assume you were looking for Weasley, but he hasn't been gone nearly this long."

She ground her teeth together, the conviction in her face startling. "It's none of your business."

Frowning, his arms slackened a bit. She hadn't been so determined for a while to keep a secret from him. Her eyes were wide, fixated on the paper in his hand as though it was a lifeline. "I didn't say it's my business; I asked because I _want_ to know. What's bugging you?"

Instead of replying she looked away, eyes fixated on the notes in front of her. "It's nothing, rubbish really. Just… just throw it away."

He titled his head, moving closer to her again now that she wasn't yelling. She was attempting to look focused on her notes but he could see the distance in her eyes, like she wasn't really seeing the pages. In fact she looked a million miles away.

"Hermione?"

She sniffled, turning her eyes back to his. They were shiny, like she was about to cry. "Just get rid of it. It hasn't helped me anyway."

"With what?"

"With my parents," she snapped bitterly. Tearing the paper out of his hand she stormed away, shredding the notes in her pursuit for the nearest rubbish bin. Surprised, Draco didn't pursue her.

He hadn't heard her speak about her parents the entire time they'd been rooming together. In fact, he realized he didn't know one thing about them other than they were muggles.

By the time he moved to her side the paper was already gone, shredded into nothing. She was sitting on the floor scowling, eyes trying to glare a hole into the floor. Unsure of how to broach a topic he knew nothing about he sat beside her, hoping he didn't appear too awkward.

"They are in Australia," she sighed, breaking the silence. "I sent them there so they wouldn't be hurt in the war. Now I can't find them."

"Why would you choose Australia?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "That's literally one of the furthest places from here."

"Exactly," she muttered, her head dropping. "The further away they were, the better. I didn't want anyone to find them. Now, I've done too good a job. I can't find them either."

Draco nodded, trying to process the information. He'd never actually thought of her parents, much less asked about them. For all he knew, they were dead.

"I've been trying since summer," she continued, surprising him with her openness. "But then things with Ron went downhill and I got distracted. Outside of Hogwarts I can try contacting muggle investigators, but my mobile doesn't work here. I doubt it would work anywhere actually. Merlin knows I never paid for the plan."

He continued nodding, positively lost about what she was discussing.

"Harry caught me with a book on the subject," Hermione said, glancing up at his face. "He asked what I was doing too. I just don't have any other options. I – I obliviated them for Merlin's sake! I don't know their mobile numbers, they would've gotten new phones. I don't even know _where_ in Australia they are, I just gave them the location. Probably Sydney, but who knows? I haven't heard a word from them in over a year, and I don't know what else I can possibly do from here."

Draco glanced at the bin, wondering why she had to go and shred her work. Obviously this meant something to her, even if she hadn't made any headway yet. "Well you can't just give up. If it's important to you, you should pursue it. I'm sure your parents miss you."

She barked out a laugh, but it sounded more like a sob. "They don't even remember me. I didn't want them to be able to answer if someone found them, or to feel betrayed as to why their only daughter sent them to another continent."

"They seem like decent enough people," he argued, grabbing at straws. He really had no idea if they were nice or not, but she didn't seem like someone with a troubled childhood. "I'm sure when you find them and explain everything will be fine."

" _If_ I find them," she whispered, eyes dropping again. "I haven't made any progress here. The longer the spell is in place, the harder it will be to break."

He smiled, gently nudging her shoulder. "You'll find them. Trust me, you're too determined not to."

Shaking her head she scooted away, looking back towards all the other work she'd accomplished. "I can't focus on it right now Draco. I let myself get distracted with researching how to find them, but I can't do anything right now. I don't know if I can help from here. I might need to actually go to Australia, but that's an adventure I can't afford right now." She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as se stood. "Besides, I have to focus on the Willow's Weep for now. Those notes for my parents are old. I know Divination isn't helping, so I'm done barking up that tree. I'll have to find another way to locate them, once all this crap is over."

"Hermione-"

"Just let it go, Draco," she whispered, her back facing him. "There's nothing I can do right now. I have to just focus on this."

Frowning, he watched her grip the first pages she came into contact with, shuffling and reshuffling as she tried to put her mind in order. Breaking down the components of a drug might be a good distraction, but it wouldn't solve her biggest issue.

She should be more focused on her parents, but she wasn't going to let herself until things with Weasley were fixed. As annoying as that was, he couldn't just push her to look for them. If she was afraid of what she might find, then she would look for as many excuses as possible to delay the adventure.

Turning from her he stalked to his room, pushing the door closed. From his desk he pulled a bit of paper, scribbling down the few things he had learned about her parents just now.

He might need to know those things in the future.

* * *

"Stop scratching," she signed, smacking Theo's hands. He looked a little ashen today, and while Hermione really only had a day and a half to look over the potion, she wanted to get a jumpstart on a solution.

Theo was way too willing to come up to the room to try her supplement. It'd been a few days now and he hadn't been able to get anymore of the Willow's Weep. While this was good for his body his psyche was suffering.

"Don't tell me what to do," he snapped at Hermione, ignoring the way she frowned. Instead of giving him the concoction in the vial she moved away, shaking her head as he muttered.

"You know if you irritate her she won't give you anything," Draco reminded, watching the pair from the other side of the couch. Twice now Theo got snappy and she'd decided to not give him her concoction. He wasn't sure this was actually useful, but she was stubborn in her ways.

"I don't want a stupid supplement," Theo muttered, sulking in his seat. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't gotten any real sleep since the last time he saw him. Saturday was a crazy night but it was Wednesday night now, and he didn't look like he'd slept since then.

"Yes you do," Draco huffed, watching Hermione jot something down in her notebook. She had some very meticulous notes going on. "Look if it helps you'll feel better and you won't be so damn cranky."

"I'm not cranky!"

Draco snorted, shaking his head as Hermione walked back, offering Theo the vial of liquid again. After mulling it over a moment he decided to take the bottle instead of arguing with her, downing the substance before handing it back.

"We need to give it at least twenty minutes to take effect," she reasoned, glancing towards the clock. "That's more than enough time to see if anything actually happens."

"And this is going to help with my addiction?"

"I'm hoping it will help take the edge off," she confessed, rubbing the back of her head. "I don't have a _cure_ right now. Some of the components are going to be hard to counteract. I'm just hoping this will help you not feel so itchy and worked up when you aren't on the drug."

"So it's not going to help?"

She sighed, sitting down beside him on the sofa. "You are _not_ as agreeable when you're tense," she muttered. "Look, natural remedies can help combat addictive products. Alcohol and drugs are hard to break. This should keep you from scratching your skin off at least, and hopefully any other withdrawal symptoms that sprout up. It's not concrete though, and it might not work as well as I hope. You're going to have to let me know."

Theo scrunched up his face, eyeing her. "You figured all that out in a day and a half?"

"She hasn't left the damn room most of the day," Draco replied, watching his friend closely. He hadn't really settled down, just kept bouncing his knees as he waited for the potion to take effect. "If she wasn't such a star student I don't think she would've gone to call."

"I wouldn't miss class."

Draco smirked, shaking his head as he leaned back in the sofa. Pansy's ability to get the ingredient list was shocking, and if Hermione's attempt did anything to ease Theo's issues they would know the list was correct. The new knowledge jumpstarted her desire to keep testing the potion, and it was much faster than Hermione trying to figure up which unnatural ingredients went into the drug.

They still had a lot of work to do, but it was better than before. If this was even a little successful they could give it to the other students, and hopefully help break some of the control the Willow's Weep had on the population.

His expression soured, thinking about _who_ controlled the Willow's Weep, and what that really meant. If Death Eater's did have control over the substance then they had too much control over too many people, and the sooner the control could be broken the better. He shuddered to think what would happen if they could assemble a fighting force again.

But that didn't make sense to him. A lot of the people influenced had bad experiences from the war _because_ they detested Voldemort and all he stood for. People like Weasley and Brown were not along for the ride to side with the enemy. If the people in control did decide to push their efforts, how many people would actually follow through with their plan and cause an uprising?

Then again, if the overuse of Willow's Weep killed the user before then it really wouldn't matter.

Drumming his fingers against the armrest, he tried to make sense of it all. It seemed the caravans outside of Hogsmeade sold the drug in dingy little tents, and so did a store in Knockturn Alley. He'd been inside both locations, and the people selling were not the same. In fact the salesman in Knockturn didn't even have the same appearance as the people in tents.

It wouldn't make sense for a bunch of unrelated idiots to sell something like this if they weren't connected, but he just couldn't see how to relate them. Unless a larger distributor was selling it and handing off to smaller groups to sell, he didn't know how everyone selling at pretty much the same strand of the drug.

This was giving him a headache. There were too many pieces of the puzzle he was missing, and right now he didn't know how to fill them in.

Then there was his father, who sounded like he used the same rubbish as everyone else. There was a scant chance he'd provide some answers, but Draco was willing to bet he'd have to fight tooth and nail to get any. Lucius was not know for his _giving_ nature.

He didn't even know if his mother knew enough to question.

"Feeling any different?" Hermione asked, drawing him out of his thoughts. She had some parchment propped on her knee, a quill in her hand as though she wanted to take more notes. Her eyes were focused intently on Theo, ready to hang off his every word. Had it really already been twenty minutes already?

Theo shrugged, looking unsure. "Maybe a little calmer."

"You haven't reached to scratch your skin in the past eleven minutes. You were doing it every two to three before, which seems to be a common trait among users. And you didn't notice you weren't doing it. That's an improvement."

Eyes widening, Theo glanced down at his wrists. The skin had thin lines from his incessant itching, but they were fading now that he'd given the skin a few minutes to breathe. Thankfully, it didn't look like he'd broke the skin yet. "Really?"

She nodded, looking pleased with herself. Draco was surprised something so simple actually had an effect. He'd watched her mix the potion earlier, and there were very few ingredients. "I want to see how you do the rest of the day. Don't take anymore; come find me later tonight or in the morning if you feel an urge to itch again and the withdrawal symptoms start to come back. I want to test how long a dosage can last. We don't want you getting addicted to _this_."

Theo cracked a grin, glancing between the two. "I don't feel as tired. Now that I'm not _cranky,_ I feel alright. I don't know if I could get addicted to this. You said its roots?"

"Well, it's roots, berries and a little magic," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes as she showed him the list. "Everyday ingredients. I'm just hoping the effects last."

"I already feel a little better," he agreed, standing up. "I can't believe you work so quick. If I'd known you'd get results in less than two days _I_ would've tried getting the list."

Smiling she stood as well, crossing her arms. "You can stay a while if you want. I don't want you to rush out and realize it only lasted for an hour."

"I'm sure it'll last longer," Theo replied, already perkier than before. "Besides, if this lasts a whole day I win my bet with Blaise."

"You seriously bet on this?" Draco asked, shaking his head. "I thought you were joking."

"'Course not," he said, grinning at the two. "I know you want to study more, but I really want to go actually have fun for once. I don't feel like total crap."

Draco shook his head, watching Hermione scratch something else into the parchment as Theo said goodbye. He knew Pansy would be upset that she hadn't offered her any after bringing her the ingredient list, but she was being careful. He actually had to convince her that Theo wanted to try her supplements, even if everything wasn't successful.

"He needs to be careful," she said, eyeing the door as soon as Theo was gone. "I don't know how quickly the effects will wear off. And if people start questioning him he might think my supplement isn't as successful. It's half mental you know. He believes what I did is helping so I hope it stays that way."

He smiled, patting her shoulder as she sat down beside him. She looked exhausted, having run herself nearly into the ground since Monday night trying to figure something out. He was glad to see her take a break, but he wished she wouldn't run herself so hard.

"When are you going to contact your parents?"

"Couldn't we talk about anything else?" he scowled, pulling away from her. "Seriously, you just beat yourself up for almost two days. Don't you want to relax?"

She frowned, crossing her arms. "Don't you want to know how your mother is and if your father is using the Willow's Weep still?"

"Of course I do," he snapped, shaking his head. "But it's also a Wednesday, and it'll be November by the end of the week. I'd like to actually rest for a few days. If I really need to see them that's a trip home, and it would take the entire weekend." He snorted. "At least."

Hermione nodded, leaning back into the sofa. "But Lucius might know something that could help us. And it would be good to check on your mom. She didn't look like someone who's been on the drug, but you never know-"

"My mother _wouldn't_ use it," Draco seethed, practically leaping off the couch. "Not that you would know of course. You don't know anything about her."

"I didn't mean anything by it," she argued, standing as well. "I just think checking in would be good. We've seen what the drug can do and people can become very violent and not like themselves-"

Draco scoffed. "My father's already like that without any outside interference."

She huffed, annoyed at his interruption. "My point is, if something is going on it needs to be investigated sooner than later. Who knows, maybe if my supplement works we can give Lucius some."

He didn't respond, turning away from her to glare out the nearest window. She knew broaching the topic of his parents would be a touchy subject, but they already discussed hers on Monday so why couldn't they bring up his again? They could do a lot more for his presently than for hers.

Besides, she didn't have any particular hate towards Narcissa, just a general dislike. Lucius is the one who really bothered her, and while she didn't have a desire to help him she would feel awful if Draco's home situation shattered any further. She didn't really know the details but it didn't take a genius to guess their home life wasn't perfect.

"All I'm saying is it could benefit all of us to go see them-"

"Are you actually thinking about going with?" he asked, eyes widening. "Do you remember we are talking about my parents, right? They haven't changed that much. Mother might even try killing you if she's in the right mood."

"I don't know if my presence would help anything," Hermione agreed. "Besides, there's plenty I can do here at Hogwarts without going to your home. I don't have any real good memories of the place, so if I can I'd rather just avoid it."

Draco shrugged, unoffended by her words. "I wouldn't say mine are spectacular either. Look, I'll see if I can go visit this weekend. I can get in easily if need be. And I'll tell you what I find out, but that in no way means you should try and tag along for the hell of it."

"I wouldn't bother," she replied, picking up her notes. "Just because I think the trip would be helpful all around does not mean I was volunteering to go."

He didn't respond, watching her pick up the remaining notes she cared about and disappear into her room. He couldn't quite tell if he had offended her, but it didn't matter. If he couldn't talk about her parents, then why the hell did he have to talk about his?

Sighing, he returned to his seat on the couch, trying to look on the bright side of something. If he went this weekend he could see his mother, which would be nice. But last week he was trying to avoid going altogether. He didn't want to specifically spend that much time near his father, but if it would help end this nonsense he could probably suck it up for a few days.

Then again, he didn't think one lousy weekend would get him anywhere.

 **A/n:** I decided to end the chapter here so it wasn't too crazy long, and it helped jumpstart the next one. We will learn more about the drug, the sellers and overall usage next chapter. Thanks for sticking around this long!

Let me know what you think, hopefully this one wasn't too boring, even if it lacked Dramione moments.


	17. Chapter 17

"So you're really going?" Hermione asked, glaring at Draco across the room. It was Friday night, and despite their plans from earlier this week she wasn't ready to commit to his adventure tomorrow.

"I have to," he muttered, glancing at her through slitted eyes from the couch. "We've already talked about this. Father might be our best chance to learn more about the Death Eaters."

"Don't you think the Ministry already interrogated them?" she argued, crossing her arms. "You're going, and I know you need to, but you haven't communicated with either of your parents in week. Aren't you worried about what your presence there might do? You don't know how deeply affected Lucius is. What if he flies off the deep end?"

Draco frowned, eyeing the girl in front of him. He told her this morning that he would be going to visit his parents this weekend and get the whole encounter out of the way. He wasn't looking forward to the experience. No matter what happened, he likely wouldn't leave on good terms. Lucius didn't share things unless he wanted, and despite his best efforts his mother honored his decisions.

This could be a huge waste of time.

"I'm hoping to only be gone for the day," he reasoned, standing from the sofa. "I really don't want to go but I don't see another choice. Pansy told us all she could, and no one else is close to those who left the school. We don't have anything else to go on. Even if you succeed in a cure, we don't know what good it will do with these power-hungry morons still on the loose. You can't stop the control Willow's Weep has if addicts can still get it."

Hermione worried her lip, glancing away. He knew she was having an internal argument with herself; they had the same argument yesterday. She agreed Wednesday that it couldn't be helped that he needed to visit his parents, yet now she was adamant that he didn't need to go. He couldn't quite pinpoint what caused the flippant mood swing, but he needed to get to the bottom of this.

He had to go. The sooner they found out who was at the head of everything, the sooner they could get this taken care of. And the sooner Weasley and everyone else was out of the picture, the sooner he'd know she was truly safe.

Maybe she would even try relaxing when things settled down.

Giving in, she moved in front of him to press her hands to his shoulders. "I'm worried, Draco. We don't know what you might encounter. I know you're just going to the Manor, but you said Lucius can have guests. What if someone is there when you arrive?"

Shrugging one shoulder, he grinned. "Guess I get to take a hostage."

"This isn't funny." She closed her eyes, smoothing her fingers over his shoulders, circling around to run her hands over his shoulder blades. "There are too many variables we can't predict. We don't even know how heavy of an addict your father is. He might be completely unreasonable, more so than usual."

He cracked a grin at her jab, letting his hands circle around her waist. "I won't be gone long, and nothing bad will happen. You know well enough I can handle myself. Besides, I know all the former Death Eaters. If I find one there I would be more than happy to take them out."

"That's not my concern," she whispered, smoothing her hands along his shirt. "I'm worried about what will happen if someone sees you and escapes. What if Lucius is more involved than you believe? He could easily tell the Death Eater's whatever you learn, and then we would have even more people breathing down our necks."

Rolling his eyes, he pulled her closer into a hug, pressing a kiss to her temple. "You worry too much. We don't have any other informants. No matter what happens, we will know more than we do now."

She didn't respond, simply tightening her hold on him. He could feel her hesitance in letting him go, especially after all the bad experiences she'd had with the drug and Death Eaters in general. But this was his realm, a lifestyle he was familiar with for a time. He could adapt if the situation called for it, and as a heir to the Malfoy line he could simply apparate out of the Manor once inside. He wouldn't be in any danger.

Trying to distract her, he nudged her hair away with his nose, bending to kiss along her jawline. She inhaled quietly, used to his affections now. She'd become more open in the past couple weeks, not shying away so much when he kissed her. She instigated just as many make out sessions that he did these days.

She relaxed in his hold as he tilted her head up, kissing down the front of her neck. Sometimes it took great effort to get her mind to ease up, but he liked the challenge. She was always thinking, always trying to figure out how to help next.

She really just needed to take a day off. She'd been stressing every other hour since giving Theo the supplement, and it wasn't improving now that he planned on leaving early in the morning. He was starting to get concerned that she would work herself to death.

That would be a very Granger-esque thing to do.

Over the past weeks, she'd gotten more comfortable with him. Draco didn't exactly know how to handle her physically, unsure if she wanted him to take things slow and cautious or if she would bite his head off for treating her like glass. He decided to just let her guide him along and see where things went. They hadn't done much more than kissing so far, and he had to keep reminding himself that was okay. She was moving past Weasley, really the only bloke who'd ever gotten to take a stab at her. Draco himself had more than enough experiences, but not with her kind of situation.

He was comfortable letting her guide them along for now. There was enough going on, he didn't need to be trying to coax her into more when her mind was elsewhere. There would be time for that when things weren't so screwed up.

Reaching her lips again he kissed her deeply, suppressing a growl when she groaned. She was hesitant to touch him, not usually letting her hands roam around too much. It drove him mad, but he wasn't going to just tell her that, not when she seemed to be so happy with their situation.

Hermione pulled back first, smiling up at him as she tried to catch her breath. He smirked, kissing her forehead lightly before pulling away.

He could wait a while longer.

"Draco?" she asked, grasping his hand before he could turn too far. It was getting pretty late, and with how hard she worked herself lately he assumed she would want to go to sleep. Instead she was focusing intently on the floor, mustering up the courage to say something. He almost interrupted before she got it out. "I think I would like to sleep with you."

He choked, watching her eyes widen as he tried to make sense of her words. She turned beat red, clearing her throat as he tried to regain his composure.

She knew how to catch him off guard.

"I-I don't mean like that!" she cried, hands flying to her face. "I just mean… I thought, if it was okay with you, I would like to stay in your room tonight."

Draco cleared his throat, trying to not look so surprised. He needed to get these mental images of the girl in front of him out of his head before he could possibly answer. He'd never be able to let her share his bed if he was imaging stripping her down. "Why would you want to do that? You've never asked before."

Somehow, her blush intensified to the point where her head was starting to look like a tomato. "You don't have to say yes, I just thought it might be… nice."

"I'm not disagreeing," he laughed, feeling the heaviness of their conversation slipping away. "I just want to know why. We only kiss. I thought you'd like your space."

"I do," she agreed, awkwardly rubbing her head. "Just… I've been thinking about this a lot, and I decided it's time to ask."

He frowned. "Why would you need to ask?"

Hermione blushed again, avoiding his eyes. "Well, Ron… I never knew how he would react to me. Sometimes he was very sweet, and we often shared a bed over the summer." Her expression darkened, remembering something he couldn't fathom. "Until he started yelling at me to not come in without asking. I don't know, it started up right around the time he took up drugs. He always expected me to ask before coming into his room. If I didn't he'd yell. I know that's not exactly normal behavior, but it's what happened. He was so emotionally strained, I didn't want to do anything else to upset him."

He forced himself to not scowl, knowing it would ruin her mood. She was already on edge for asking the question, staring at the floor as she scooted away like he'd already rejected her. Anger boiled inside him, thinking of just how much Weasley warped her mind. She thought she had to ask if she could join him? Most men wanted the company.

Weasley was a fool. Addiction or not, he should've known a good thing when he had it.

He grasped her hands, lifting them to her lips to kiss each side. When finished he grasped her chin, staring directly into her eyes. "You _never_ need to ask me about that. You are welcome in my room whenever you want."

Relief flooded over her features, all her nerves disappearing as quickly as they showed up. She took his hand, squeezing tight as she headed towards his room. She was already dressed for bed in some comfortable pajamas, playfully looking over her shoulder at him as they walked to the room.

Draco, despite his elation that she was willing to ask him so openly about sleeping in his room, couldn't control the slow boiling rage inside of him. How could Weasley be so cold towards sharing a space with her, yet demand more from her sexually than she seemed willing to give? He'd seen her blouses torn, the telltale fingerprints enough of a hint. He didn't understand how the idiot could fuck things up so badly.

No wonder she was hesitant about everything. Her first boyfriend was a jackass.

Hermione snuggled up in his bed faster than he expected, hopping into the unused half of his large bed before he could even shut his door. Glancing over at her, he noted she had the blankets pulled up to her shoulders, her blush heavy as she laid down. Maybe she moved so quickly so she didn't lose her nerve.

Deciding he could sleep in his shirt for tonight and not give her the wrong idea, he joined her in bed. She was hesitant as he laid down, keeping her gaze down before she finally scooted closer as Draco turned off the light.

"You don't have to be nervous," he whispered quietly, kissing her. "I won't do anything while you sleep."

"I'm not worried about that," she replied, her voice happier than he expected. "I'm just not used to having someone here with me at night."

He frowned, scooting closer to the girl before him. One arm snaked out, drawing her body in closer to his until their noses were touching. Even in the dark he could see her eyes were wide, surprised. "You should get used to it."

"Should I?"

He nodded, kissing her again. "Long as you're with me, you won't be sleeping alone again."

* * *

It was hard to leave the comfort of his bed Saturday morning. Literally. Draco couldn't recall the last time he had a beautiful girl in his bed and woke up this hard because he couldn't get relief the night before. He had half a mind to wake Hermione up and see if she'd help, but he predicted she'd probably avoid his bed the rest of this year if he did that.

He had to handle things the old fashioned way, which was a lot less satisfying. Groaning as he prepared to leave, he decided if he did ever convince the Gryffindor to trust him enough the first thing he was going to ask for was help in the mornings.

Now, instead of being cuddled up beside the girl he was falling for in a cozy bed he looking at his father for the first time since summer, biting down the anger building up inside of him. He had a lot of pent up anger lately, and he'd like nothing more than an excuse to let it out.

Draco's lip twitched, trying to keep himself in check. He'd done well up to this point, but this was trying his patience. If there weren't half a dozen house elves cleaning frantically around his father's feet he may have hexed him upon entering the room.

Lucius glared from the other side, his eyes slightly unfocused. He hadn't expected this confrontation would go well, but he was still hoping it'd be better than this. He'd just gotten there and already you could feel the tension in the air.

Sneering, Draco cleared this throat, glancing at the empty bottle on the table beside his father, a needle lying on the floor. "I see you're already using up all your product."

The glare intensified, and he could feel his father's hate seeping out of him. Seeing his mother when he arrived was pleasant, and he knew Lucius would be anything but. He hadn't had a lot of time to chat with his mom, needing to get this confrontation out of the way for his own piece of mind. "What do you want, boy? Shouldn't you be in school?"

Draco's lip twitched again, ignoring the jab his father made. He didn't really have the patience to banter with him today, but he knew that didn't matter. He'd almost left the Manor twice on his walk up to this very room. "It's the weekend, not that you would know that. I'm an adult now, father. I can leave the school when I'm not in class if I want."

 _We aren't supposed to leave the grounds at all with the drug outbreak, but he doesn't need to know that._

"I'm surprised you bothered to come," he snapped back, unfocused eyes glancing up to meet Draco's and then dodge away again, looking somewhere completely different. "You haven't cared since you left for school about either of us."

Distracted, he glanced towards his mother across from him, who was currently glaring out the window. He knew she'd be upset when he came without notice, but she was much more receptive than Lucius. He hadn't spent enough time talking to her on the way in, but he knew he'd have to stop and have a longer chat with her on the way out. He owed his mother that much.

Besides, he'd never responded to her letter. She was worried about him until he suddenly showed up on the grounds early this morning, much earlier on a Saturday than he would typically bother.

"I can't say I give a damn about you," Draco agreed, crossing his arms, "but mother is a different story. I didn't come here to listen to you bitch. I need information."

Lucius arched an eyebrow, refusing to look in Draco's direction again. He hadn't tried to hex him yet, which was a decently good sign. "What information could I possibly give you, Draco? I can't leave the Manor. I only know what I'm told."

Draco scowled. "I don't believe that. You always had informants to help you keep up to date on whatever's going on. Your old ones might be dead, but I'm sure you've found someone new by now." He glared, watching his father's shifting emotions. Usually he was stoic, but today he couldn't hide his expressions. "I think, given the chance to still follow darkness, you've done a smashing job. I'm impressed you can get access to Willow's Weep in your current situation."

Narcissa snapped around, hands coming to grasp at the high neckline of her jacket. She looked startled by his statement, unaware where this conversation was going. He hadn't really explained when he arrived what purpose he had for showing up so suddenly.

"What do you know about that?" she asked, her quiet voice slicing through the silent room. "You aren't involved again, are you Draco?"

He rolled his eyes, shifting his weight to state at his mother. "Hardly. I know more than your little letter explained from last month, but I don't use it anymore, which you know. I'm here because I know father does."

"You told him?" Lucius snarled, standing from his seat. He grappled for the cane beside him, leaning more heavily on the support stick than Draco had ever seen. "How could you be so careless Cissa! If the letter was intercepted-"

"It's been sitting at the bottom of a pile for weeks," Draco corrected, eyeing his father. Lucius hadn't moved in Narcissa's direction, but he still remained tense, unsure how his father would react. He'd seen enough people become violent from the drug to know he shouldn't underestimate him. "No one was going to check my mail. I haven't been suspicious enough to warrant people checking up on me, _father_."

 _Also a lie. If McGonagall didn't crack down on those Ministry wankers I'd still be getting questioned every other day._

"Then what do you want?" Lucius continued, never losing the snarl on his face. "If you aren't using it then what business is it to you? Your friends, I know some of them use it too often."

"It doesn't matter who I'm here for," Draco argued, glaring at Lucius. "The point is I know you know about the Willow's Weep, and more importantly the Death Eaters heading the operation. So whatever you know, I need to know."

The older man seemed surprised by what Draco knew, eyebrows shooting up as he spoke. "How do you know it's Death Eaters?"

"Other than the fact that we used it as a rite of passage for new Death Eaters during the war?" He actually laughed, unable to believe his father's stupidity. "What I don't have is a clear picture as to how the drug is mass produced and more importantly why a bunch of rebels are the ones selling."

"You sure have a lot of questions, boy," he replied, sitting back heavily into the chair. The house elves scattered, looking positively terrified. He looked his son up and down once, his lip curling into a sneer. "You here about the Weasley boy then? Figured I'd see you sooner or later when he started wailing about you and the Granger girl. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Draco's eyes flashed, drawing his wand. He couldn't hold back anymore. "You know about him?"

Lucius barked out a laugh, looking at his son through hooded eyes. He glanced towards his wife, jabbing a finger in Draco's direction. "Ha! I told you, I told you he knew something about that twat."

"How do you know about him?" he asked again, glancing towards his mother, fingers tightening on his wand. She looked less worried now however, possibly because the conversation was shifting away from Lucius himself. "How do you even know he's involved?"

"Until about two weeks ago someone would bring my supply to me," Lucius replied, closing his eyes. "Some lowlife who was too drugged to even notice what they are doing. Most don't even realize who they are talking to or where they are. When I ran out recently your poor mother had to run off and find someone to give us more of the supply since they are getting _stingy_. The Weasley boy was different than the others who stumble in to deliver. He was angry when he arrived, throwing a fit when your mother went to retrieve my portion. He kept screaming about you, actually."

Draco frowned, mulling over his words. If the potion was delivered regularly then there was a chance people knew where they were going beforehand. No way would Weasley agree to come here, even if he was drugged off his arse. He couldn't fathom why people would make hand deliveries, but perhaps their work allowed them to have more of the supply. More work, more drugs. An uneven trade, but one that definitely worked in the leader's favor.

If that was what was happening.

Lucius continued on, apparently undeterred by his son's lack of response. He was pleased to see he could still manage to get under his skin. "He kept talking about you and the Mudblood-"

" _Don't_ ," he stressed, thinking about the girl back at school. She was trusting him to come back with answers, and he couldn't just allow his father to speak about her as though she was nothing. He wouldn't allow it. Angling his wand towards is father, he let the threat hang in the air. "Leave her out of this, father. Don't speak poorly about her."

"You wanted to know what he was bitching about, Draco." He looked like he wanted to say more, but Draco cut him off before he could.

"I can already guess," he muttered, walking further into the room. For the first time since arriving he took a seat, watching some of the tension leave his mother's shoulders. "If Weasley is coming here, then it's no mistake that he was specifically sent."

"I doubted that too," Lucius grumbled. "I haven't encountered him before, but he's come by twice now. Most often it's some brown-haired twit. She always wants to gossip. I think perhaps she is in your year."

 _Brown._

Draco sat forward, pushing away thoughts of Weasley for now. Focusing on that wouldn't do him any good. "Why are Death Eater's selling drugs?"

Lucius scowled, fixing Draco with a knowing look. Even if he was being unusually informative there was no mistaking the look in his eyes. He knew his son was here digging for information, clues he wasn't giving. It just wasn't apparent yet why he cared so deeply.

"Isn't it obvious?" Lucius barked, straightening in the seat. "People will do anything to cope when they don't understand how to. All the Death Eater's – or anyone – had to do was use the Willow's Weep to control those around them dying of despair. The potion ingredients are well-known still to some who used to brew their own batches. Producing it isn't a problem. Marketing is even easier. People who are desperate enough to do anything to forget will pay out the arse for a solution."

"Who produces it then?" his son continued, arching an eyebrow. He was surprised Lucius was willing to forgo so much information. Perhaps the potion made his tongue looser, or he was just in the right mood for sharing. "Are you telling me whoever the fuck wants to produce this potion can, and they can sell it for whatever amount? There's no organization at all?"

Lucius scowled, looking away. He seemed to be contemplating with himself, knowing he was giving his son a lot of information. Perhaps he was starting to realize he should be more discrete when giving away details. "You no longer use the drug son, and you no longer pledge your allegiance to the Death Eaters. Anything I tell you goes against what I have been doing. Why should I keep answering you?"

"Why did you to begin with?"

His lips pulled into a smirk, finding something amusing about the topic. "I don't really know, Draco. I haven't decided where my loyalties lie yet."

Narrowing his eyes, Draco asked his next question carefully. His father was not acting quite like himself, far too open for any other normal day. "Why wouldn't you side with the people supplying you? You don't even like me, father. You've made that very clear. Why help me?"

Lucius grinned, shaking his head. He had a far off look in his eyes, but maybe that was the potion's fault. "I'm getting old, son. I can't do the same things I once could." He held out a hand away from his body, and it clearly shook and twitched like other addicts Draco had seen. "You know me. I used this during the war, and I will continue to use the Willow's Weep now. I can't let it go."

"So you're telling me your involvement is nothing more than a desperate need to sate your addictive nature?"

"And I'm keeping my connections open," he continued, dropping his arm. His expression tightened, the anger in his features returning. "I am bound to this house, son. I cannot leave to speak with anyone I've ever known, and the few left alive are no longer willing to come to the Manor. I can't go out to see them. The best I can do is communicate when they contact me. Willow's Weep might have side effects, but it provides me the constant reminder of the choices I've made and the bonds I've lost overtime. This is my only connection to my old life, and it's fickle at best."

He continued glaring, unable to give his father pity for even a moment.

"If you want to know why I'm helping," he continued, shifting in his seat, "It's because the Death Eater's do not mean so much to me anymore. That doesn't mean I disagree with their ideals, but I am no longer in a position where I can actively assist and be a part of the organization. Anyone trying to rise up now either made it out of the war easy, or are on the run. The benefits they will reap if they successfully overthrow the Ministry are not ones I can enjoy. Having the Dark Mark no longer assists me, so I don't give a damn what happens to the people running this set up."

"Then why aren't you going to the Ministry with your information if you don't care?" Draco snapped, glaring at him. "If you really don't care then you shouldn't be concerned about telling them what you know."

Lucius shrugged helplessly, eyeing his son. "If I tell them how I get the information, and they still see me as a danger or an example to punish, I will lose the few freedoms I have left in this prison. I already can't leave the Manor, it would be a shame if I could no longer have guests either, even if they rarely visit."

He wasn't buying it, that wasn't enough of an excuse for Lucius. But he wasn't here to pick apart his father's life choices. Switching topics, he tried to steer them back in the right direction. "Who's heading the organization, if there even is one?"

"Oh, there is one," Lucius agreed, glancing at Narcissa. She was sitting now, something in the background instead of an active player in the argument. His mother almost always voiced her opinion, and she was being unusually quiet. "But I cannot tell you who is in charge. I simply don't know. All I do know if the people who are selling the drug work together, and ultimately they hope to overthrow the Ministry."

Draco snorted. "So just like Voldemort wanted Do they plan on purifying the world too?"

"Something to that extent. However this world is suffering from war. Everyone can feel it. The Death Eater's left alive want to be able to control those who oppose them without losing the few numbers they have left."

"Mind control," Draco muttered. "It's a game. They are using the Willow's Weep to control an army of people who would do anything to get their hands on more of the addictive drug so they don't have to play dirty. Those already under the influence will do what they must to keep the high going."

That's how they got innocent students to take something so obviously bad. Everyone hurt, they just wanted something to make the pain and memories go away for a while. Willow's Weep wasn't just a drug, it was a vice. A way to control those who couldn't help themselves, no matter their allegiance.

"How do they sell to people who aren't affiliated?" he muttered out loud, thinking through everything he knew. He'd purchased drugs at the caravans outside of Hogsmeade, but those appeared shady to literally everyone who happened by them. "The people I've encountered selling, they aren't Death Eaters. I haven't seen a face I truly recognize."

"I told you their numbers are limited," he sighed, cutting off his son. "They can't risk being found out. So once people are addicted, they can act as runners to distribute the drug to more people, old and new users alike. The Death Eaters in command never really have to come out in the open to make this happen."

Draco nodded, the pieces clicking together. "Willow's Weep is a huge outbreak, even at school. There are precautions and serious consequences for breaking the laws. The Ministry began some sort of ludicrous plan to try and help those who are addicted and just want to stop." He scoffed, thinking of the horrible idea. "It basically turns you into a vegetable, and then what good are you? I haven't seen anyone firsthand suffer from their so-called treatment, but it sounds like a legalized way to kill off the addicts."

Lucius studied his son, mulling over what he said. "You're right, the head players never have to do the dirty work. I keep getting told there is a short supply if Willow's Weep right now, but that's just a ploy. Nott senior, when he was alive? He told he the list of ingredients once, but hell if I recall what they were. All I remember is each component wasn't expensive to obtain. The price is spiking to drive people crazy. Even those who can't afford it will find a way to get their fix."

"And to get them to do what they want," Draco muttered. He thought of Hermione, beat down by her ex in a dirty tent just to get money for his next high. "Is the drug made in one location?"

"I believe so, I don't really know. All I know is there are few people who actually know how to make the drug. It's being kept that way so people can't replicate and no longer have need for the group. I don't know what the organization is, or if there is even a name. But it is one group, son. One group wanting to take down the Ministry. And if they have it their way, they will succeed. Willow's Weep is practically an epidemic. Most who are constant users can hardly think for themselves anymore."

Draco's eyes darted to the empty bottle beside his father, meeting his eyes briefly. "Don't get the wrong idea son, I'm not a heavy user. I know my limits from past experiences. We've had this conversation actively, you can tell my mind isn't muddled. I don't take enough for the potion to truly have an influence on me."

"I've seen other students who exhibit signs of withdrawal," Draco replied, holding his father's gaze. He wasn't going to comment on his father's usage when he already knew his opinion. "Even the ones who don't use it often are addicted, and one time is all it takes. It is extremely addictive, and harder still to break away from. I think the composition has changed a bit, as I was able to stop taking it before but others can't now. Why can you still take it even when you should lose your mind when the supply is gone?"

Lucius never blinked, holding his son's gaze with determination. "Tolerance."

Sighing, he knew that was true. Lucius took the stuff for a long time, of course he would need more to truly feel it now. "So you don't know who is in charge?"

"I don't, I'm not privy to that information. I'm lucky someone still bothers to bring me my delivery. Whoever it is, they have a control that no one else does. These mindless idiots obeying whatever demand they receive in order to get their next batch could prove to be dangerous. If given an ultimatum, I have no doubts they would attack the Ministry without hesitation. If the Ministry falls, chaos will ensue."

Draco scowled. These people sounded more and more like sociopaths the longer he listened. He knew they wanted to take out the Ministry, the biggest powerhouse for control. If Death Eater's controlled the government, they controlled the laws and could rewrite them. Anyone opposing would be dead in minutes.

That simply couldn't be allowed to happen. People like Hermione would be killed instantly, and he probably wouldn't be far behind on that list.

How one organization, headed by a few people at most, with one location, could cause so much damn chaos in such little time was beyond Draco. The end goal had to be grander than just obtaining control of the Ministry, but Draco didn't know what else there could be, other than picking up where Voldemort left off.

He suppressed a shudder at that thought. Almost all the high ranking Death Eaters were dead, and he couldn't imagine someone with a lower ranking would want to continue his work so badly. The idea made him sick. At least he had some answers now.

"And you have absolutely no idea who runs the operation?"

Lucius held his gaze, undeterred by his disbelief. "No."

Well, it was more than he expected to learn. Standing from his seat he gave his father a curt nod, deciding it was best to go. He'd been unusually agreeable today, he didn't want to push his luck. "Well, thank you father. You knew more than I thought."

"You shouldn't be so damn surprised."

"But I need to be going," he continued, almost cutting the man off. "I have other things to do with my Saturday. It's the first day of November."

Lucius didn't say anything to that, his gaze shifting off again. He appeared somewhere lost in thought, his eyes getting out of focus. The elves continued cleaning the space as Draco left, Narcissa hurrying to his side as the doors shut.

That went well, unusually so. He wasn't certain the man in there was even his father anymore. No way would Lucius Malfoy give up so much information for free.

"Are you sure he's feeling alright?" Draco muttered, stuffing his hands down into his pockets. He'd briefly talked with his mother on the way up to the room, and she did mention that his father was not acting exactly like himself. But he assumed that meant lots of anger, not a strange sense of loyalty to give him so many answers.

"The drug affects him," she replied, lifting her chin. "He just took some a few hours ago, I'm sure you could tell. He's a little more receptive after. Make no mistake, he's as angry as you'd expect when the effects wear off. Don't worry – I am more than capable of handling him. All the elves are in his section of the Manor because the poor place is usually destroyed when he comes off his high."

Draco scowled, shooting his mother a glance. He didn't like how she spoke so calmly about this, as though it was to be expected. "Do you put protection wards up?"

She scoffed, meeting her sons gaze. "Until he breaks his habit like I asked him to, he can't leave that wing of the Manor. I have an enchantment up for that purpose. It makes life more peaceful until your father is in a reasonable mood again."

His scowl deepened. When he was younger his mother's devotion to his father was unmatched. She would do anything for him, and protect him however she could. Even though she didn't have to continue being that way after everything, it appeared nothing had changed. She still tried to make his life a good one, even when he didn't deserve it.

"Draco," Narcissa continued, grasping her sons arm. He stopped walking, somewhat disappointed that he couldn't just apparate himself out. She deserved a proper farewell, even if he wanted nothing more than to leave this dreary place and the heavy atmosphere it produced. "You're father wasn't completely truthful."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"He did tell you nearly everything he knows," she snapped, pinching the bridge of her nose. "But not all of it. I'm not sure why he refused to tell you this part."

"What is it?"

Narcissa sighed, squeezing his arm again before letting ago. A shadow fell over her features, her voice dropping an octave or two. "Draco, he knows exactly who heads this operation. They've made it clear that they intend to bring it to the light soon."

He narrowed his eyes. "They?"

Nodding, she crossed her arms before continuing. "Draco, it's the Carrows, Alceto and Amycus."

 **A/n:** I apologize that this chapter is a little late, I got distracted while writing. Hopefully this chapter has enough in it to make up for my tardiness! Please let me know what you thought, and don't forget to favorite and follow!


	18. Chapter 18

By Thursday, Hermione knew that her supplement only worked for a short while. Theo didn't have symptoms of withdrawals for several days, nearly a week. Once he came back to her showing signs of withdrawal after less than seven days she knew the solution was only temporary.

It actually lasted longer than she anticipated. Almost an entire week without feeling torn by the crippling symptoms? Theo hadn't looked so healthy in weeks.

Pansy harped her for some of the supplement, but she was leery to give it to anyone else. She still didn't really know if there would be any other side effects from taking the potion for extended periods of time, and she really didn't need students to move from being addicted to one potion to another.

Today she found herself in the library, needing a break from the constant onslaught of her common room. Blaise and Theo came by every day since Saturday, speaking with Draco about the Carrows. Even Pansy and Astoria Greengrass ended up in there yesterday.

She really couldn't take all of them at once. She understood they were brainstorming about Alceto and Amycus, two individuals she did not know much about. But she hadn't seen Draco bring so many friends by at once before, and the amount of gossip those two Slytherin girls could share in a few minutes was astounding.

She needed a breather, so she came to her favorite place in the school. For a Thursday night it was pretty quiet, and she could pour over her books in peace.

"Hey Hermione," Harry said, startling her. She jumped, looking up at the two people in front of her. Harry had his arm wrapped lazily around Ginny, rubbing little circles on her arm with his thumb. She'd been so focused on her reading she hadn't heard them approach. "What are you doing here?"

"It is the library," Hermione replied, laughing a little. She'd been so busy recently she hadn't spent much time with her two best friends. "This is one of the best places to try to find me."

"You haven't been down too much since term started," Ginny replied, eyes glancing anywhere but at her face. "We've been coming here a little more often. If we stay in the common room too long people ask us about Ron… and we don't know what to say."

She cringed, having avoided the Gryffindor dorms for a while. She didn't have any reason to go, not with Harry trying to help Ginny move through this troubled time. They needed time to themselves, and even if Ginny did side with her against her mother she still knew they were on rocky ground. She had Draco to help her, but Ginny needed Harry's strength. Hermione was still unsure where she still truly stood with her redhead friend.

She hadn't told anyone Ron was suffering, there was no way to escape the truth. It cost her the trust of many of her friends, and undoubtedly the Weasley's. Ginny would remain hesitant around her, and she couldn't say she totally blamed her. Maybe they could've done something else for Ron if united together, but it was too late now. All they could do was move forward.

"I haven't heard anything either," she admitted, rubbing the back of her head. "About Ron anyway, other than what I've told you. I haven't seen anyone who might be connected since seeing Lavender in Hogsmeade."

Harry nodded, his expression grave. "They know people are on to them, so they won't send anyone out who could be a liability, including Ron."

Ginny inhaled sharply at his comment, Harry's hand moving up to her shoulder to squeeze. "I'm just worried about him," the ginger admitted, clenching her hands together. "We have no idea if he's coping."

"Ron's stubborn," Hermione replied, patting the table. "Sit down for a minute. I don't feel I've seen you two in ages. I do have something else I can share with you, but it's not directly about Ron."

The pair sat, and Hermione felt her spirits lifting a bit. She hadn't gotten to spend personal time with them in ages. Even if Ginny was a little wary of her she still considered her a dear friend, and it felt wonderful to just sit and talk. She told them about Draco finding out about the Carrows, ignoring the way Harry frowned at her mention of his parents. She also told them about her attempt to help with a supplement, watching Ginny's eyes sharpen a bit.

"Do you think it would work?" she asked, leaning closer. "I mean, if you could find a solution then Ron won't suffer so much when he's found. It's not cruel like the Ministry's solution, right?"

"No, of course not. People suffering addiction need help getting off of it, not to be scared of what will happen if they are caught. I'm not doing it just for Ron, but for everyone who is hurting."

Ginny smiled slightly, reaching across the table to clench her hand. "Mom will like that. She's scared what will happen when it's time for him to come home."

"He'll be okay," Hermione assured, smiling in return. "The Ministry should side with me once I have a viable solution, and I'm already closer than they are. I just have to be able to prove it works before they will ever listen to me about giving it to a large amount of people."

"And that would break the hold the Carrows have on people?" Harry asked, arching an eyebrow. "Without oblivious followers the Death Eaters won't stand a chance because they have no one backing them or to do their dirty work."

"Exactly. The sooner there is a solution, the better off everyone will be. We still don't know why they would strike, or when. We're pretty in the dark."

"You don't want to tell the Minister?" Ginny continued sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "They've butted into everything else, maybe they will want to get in the middle of this too."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Hermione admitted, dropping her gaze. "It has to be a foolproof solution and there have to be enough people to back the cure or the Ministry will tear it up and turn it into something else. I don't trust them to just distribute the cure without forcing people into interrogations first to ' _ensure the safety of the citizens_ '. I just don't trust them. They are too overbearing now that the war's over and they need to learn to loosen up some and not treat every person who misbehaves like a criminal."

Her friends nodded, having also gone through the same interrogation process she had when the Ministry was cracking down on the school. The Ministry felt obligated to keep a tight hold on things to make sure another Dark Lord didn't rise up, yet their actions were enabling people like Alceto and Amycus to gather followers with nothing more than a vice. She wasn't sure some of the people affected even realized the mess they were getting into and just followed for their fix. Their followers might be blind, but with the right motivation could convince anyone to go along with a plan, even if they didn't understand what they were truly doing.

She hoped it wouldn't come to a real fight.

"The Ministry is just afraid," Harry snapped, leaning back in his chair. "People still aren't happy with the way things are being handled. They don't have as firm of a grasp on everything as they want to, so now they are trying to fight back. It's just not working in their favor."

"It doesn't make it right either," Hermione sighed, resting her head on her hand. "We don't even know where they meet, much less how to figure out where they are hiding. The Ministry won't take action until they know they can easily take them down, which might not be a reality."

Ginny glanced down, fidgeting with her bag. She watched as the redhead withdrew something, her cheeks coloring slightly as she slid the stack across the table.

"I've had these about a week," Ginny muttered, not meeting her eyes. "Seamus found them under some junk Ron had thrown around the room. He gave them to Harry, who said I could decide what to do with them. I don't have any use for them, but if you are investigating and talking to all these people who are affected, maybe they will help you."

Frowning, she slipped the stack over. It was a small collection of photographs, and she could see why Ginny might not be ecstatic about showing them to her. Most were pictures of Ron and Lavender outside, probably right around the time he got together with her before they ran off. She flipped quickly through the photos to see if she'd find anything of interest, not expecting to see much more than the lovely-dovey eyes they shot at each other.

It hurt, even if she was no longer involved with Ron. He'd never looked at her that way before, drugged or not. Looking at the photographs she could see a clear difference in his eyes.

She paused at the back of the stack, her eyes zeroing in on the picture. This one was of the caravans, the two standing together with vials in their hands. Apparently they wanted to take pictures of everything they did together. She flipped a little faster through the photos, wanting to be done. They weren't offering her any other insight.

The final photo was different than the others, taken in an alleyway. She frowned, picking this one up. It was darker than the other photos, looking like it was taken at dusk. They still smiled but looked more withdrawn than in the others, standing outside a storefront.

She leaned a little closer. It kind of looked familiar, like she'd been there recently. The dusty stones appeared different from those on the other side of the picture, the light above the sign –

Her eyes widened. "Can I keep this one?"

Ginny frowned, shrugging one shoulder as she gathered the others up. "Um, if you want it. I just thought you deserved to see them since Ron… since he kind of screwed you. I just don't want there to be any skewed emotions, like you thinking your relationship might be salvaged-"

"I didn't," Hermione interrupted, lifting her head. "That ship sailed a long time ago. Ron made his choices, I made mine. There's no going back to what we used to have. Thank you for showing me, but while I still feel he is a good friend any relationship we had is over and can't be saved. I only want this one because I feel I've seen this building before."

Ginny nodded, letting the topic drop as she stowed the photos away. Hermione switched topics, chatting with her friends a few more minutes before they left. She didn't want to talk about Ron anymore or her so-called "feelings". She didn't feel anything for Ron now, only sorrow that he slipped so far.

Glancing at the photograph she had, she studied the building again before packing her things. There was no way it was a coincidence, and she wanted to confirm her suspicions with Draco sooner than later.

It looked exactly like the potions shop they visited in Diagon Alley.

* * *

"What good does it do us to know where they took pictures?" Draco asked, glancing at her. She was half paying attention, half wandering around their common room muttering to herself. He stared at the picture again, recognizing the sign almost immediately.

"Well, your mom got the supply from the shop," she reasoned, stopping her meandering. "Perhaps this is a meeting place?"

"That's a long stretch, isn't it? They could just as easily get their supply from there, at least until Brown started bringing supplies to other people. My mother only got some for father from there because there was a period of time where they wouldn't bring him any, remember? They were probably dreary-looking because they were high."

"Maybe," Hermione muttered, returning to the notes in her hand. She wanted to focus on the conversation at hand, but he also knew she was going over the notes she'd done on Theo's progression and then digression. She had too many things on her mind, not ready to focus solely on a single one. "I think the shop might be worth investigating. We were too stunned the first time to ask a lot of questions, and there was the concern that he might recognize you. If we went and talked to him we could find out something else."

"Don't you think we do enough sneaking off school grounds?" he laughed, looking up at the girl. He'd made her a drink when she got back to the room, but she had yet to touch it. His was half gone, letting him relax more and more. "Besides, we ran into Brown last time. Who's to say we don't encounter someone worse? Going back to Hogsmeade is dangerous, especially with the Ministry trying to patrol there and in Diagon Alley." He scoffed, throwing back more of his drink. "I don't know why they think that'll do any good."

"They just want some sort of control back," she replied, finally sitting down beside him on the sofa. She cast her notes aside, focusing all of her attention on him. "I think we could manage to go back. Come on Draco, we're in November now! Don't you want all this resolved before Christmas?"

He laughed harder this time, practically choking out his drink. "Jeeze, you have a lot of hope there. There are a lot of components here, not just Weasley and Brown. Christmas would be a miracle. I'll count my blessings if this is resolved by the end of the school year."

"We don't have that much time to worry about it," she sighed, leaning against the sofa. "The drug will have brainwashed people so much by then a solution may not matter if half the users are dead."

"Now we're being a little morbid, aren't we?" he teased. "Look, running out all the time to do investigating won't work. It's Thursday, and we actually do have classes tomorrow."

"So Friday then?"

"You do remember how fucking annoying it is to get off the grounds anymore, don't you?"

"Of course I do," she replied, scooting closer. "But I also know we have patrols together, which is a great excuse to be out late. We just do our rounds and then head out. It'll be harder for someone to see us in the dark."

"Or we're going to trip and look like morons when someone does find us."

"Oh, stop being a pessimist," she snapped, moving to sit directly beside him, her fingers splayed across his chest. "You're making it sound impossible, and we've already done the impossible before. Come on, it'll be an adventure."

"I always thought adventures were meant to be fun."

Hermione rolled her eyes, glancing up at him through her lashes. He knew he was more intoxicated than she was considering she hadn't had a drop to drink, but that didn't matter. He'd only had half of one, and he was certain he could get her to drink eventually. Leaning down he smirked, capturing her lips with his. He'd just have to change that.

He loved kissing her. She'd gone from unsure to brazen very quickly, a side of her he didn't often see. She leaned up into the kiss, cupping his cheek to deepen the moment. One arm moved to wrap around her waist, drawing her in closer to the side of his body.

Being intimate with her always felt good. He shifted his weight, wrapping his other arm around her to pull her up on his lap. She didn't break the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as he moved them. He titled his head back, deepening the kiss a moment before he pulled away, his attention shifting from her cheek to her neck to her shoulder, kissing along the skin there.

He loved when she made those cute breathy noises.

Smirking against her skin he moved one of his hands from her waist, sliding it up her torso. She tensed a hair, refusing to breathe for a moment before sighing contently again, relaxing once more into his hold. He grinned as he reached up and cupped her breast, pulling back just a hair.

"And here I thought you'd panic."

"You do remember I had a long term boyfriend right?" she asked, shooting him a massive grin. She pressed one hand over his, massaging over her skin harder. "Besides, you're nothing like him and I will never mistake you for Ron. You don't need to be so careful with me, Draco. I _want_ you like this."

She bent down and kissed him again, giggling a little at the predatory gleam in his eyes. His fingers moved back down, sliding under the thin material of her shirt. She gasped when he shifted past her bra, easily capturing her nipple between his fingers.

He pulled back from her, biting her lip as he went. He grinned up at her, the hand on her lower back pushing her closer to him. "Well damn Hermione, all you had to do was say so."

* * *

Friday night rolled around sooner than expected, Hermione's nerves on edge as she waited for Draco to be ready to go on patrols. She wanted to do some snooping already and see if they couldn't learn more about what the Carrows and the Death Eaters following them had planned.

To be honest, she was having a little bit of fun with all the investigative work. It challenged her mind in a way school couldn't, and Draco's assistance often helped her look at the problems in a new light. Although she wished Willow's Weep wasn't a problem, she was somewhat grateful for the break from meticulous studying. The last seven years of her life were full of nonstop drama. She wasn't entirely sure what she would do if it ever calmed down.

Staring at the common room sofa she smirked. Malfoy sure knew how to make her feel amazing. She should've never had any concerns that he would handle her just right. He did an absolutely splendid job.

Her cheeks heated pleasantly at the memory. Even if she couldn't give herself to him yet, not without all the other damn turmoil following suit, she was more than satisfied with last night. Maybe next time she really would let him have his way with her.

She grinned devilishly at the thought. Now that would be real fun.

Hopping on the balls of her feet she grew impatient, glancing at the clock. Now they were going to be late, and all she wanted to do was go have some investigative fun tonight. Hopefully the shop owner was a sucker and would spill the juicy details quickly. But she would never know without being able to go out and search.

She was just beginning to lose her nerve when Draco burst through the common room door, his hair askew and his skin sheening with sweat. Her eyebrows shot up as he darted into the room and grabbed her hand with his own, dragging her out of the room.

"Draco, what's wrong?"

"I convinced the Slytherin prefects to cover us tonight," he grunted, picking up the pace. "We aren't going anywhere. You need to see Pansy, now."

"I – what? Why would I need to see her?"

He glanced back at her, ignoring her when she shook her wrist free and walked hurriedly beside him. "You need to brew more of that supplement. I already sent Theo to fetch the supplies, I know you need more."

"But why would she need some?" Hermione continued, her eyebrows drawing together. "Pansy-"

"Got a nice little package earlier," he snapped, running his fingers through his hair as they walked. Their dorm was several floors above the Sytherin common room, and he was hurrying to get there faster than she'd ever seen. "Someone sent her a strengthened version of the Willow's Weep. We think she might've had a seizure when she overdosed-"

"Woah, wait," she said, throwing up her hands as she stopped walking. "What do you mean overdosed? I thought Pansy was trying to quit?"

Draco groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "She was. Look, can we argue about this later? I need you to examine her _right now_. Blaise begged me to come and find you to see if something can be done. We don't want to take her to the hospital wing, or they might send her off to St. Mungo's where the Ministry could arrest her. Please, just see if you can brew a stronger version of the supplement for her. I don't think the seizure lasted long, she's just asleep now."

Hermione shook her head, backing away from him slowly. "Draco, I'm not a Healer. I can't do amazing, life-savings things for Pansy. If she's that bad off, she needs to be treated by a professional-"

"If she goes there we might never see her again!" he snapped, eyes bulging. "Blaise refuses to send her, and she seemed decent when I left. It's just the drug, that's all it is. It's killing her. So we need you Hermione to try and save her. Please, I wouldn't ask if I didn't think you could."

She shuddered, watching the desperation in his gaze grow. He was truly scared to give his friend up to the Ministry, even if it meant she might receive better treatment until she woke up. Turning her into a vegetable to break her addiction wouldn't benefit her, but at least someone who was trained to treat a human being would be overseeing her. Hermione was just playing with the medicine side of everything, not actually treating a person.

"I can try," she admitted, falling into step beside him as he took off again. "But don't expect a miracle."

* * *

Draco knew she could produce a miracle. Standing beside Theo he watched her quickly mix the potion, keeping Pansy somewhat aware of what was going on. She was not able to recall anything, speaking in fragmented sentences as Hermione half explained and half lecture her about taking more of the drug.

He'd have to correct her later. He hadn't gotten the opportunity on the way there to explain that she didn't take another dose on purpose.

"She works fast," Theo muttered, arms folded tight, his nails digging into his skin. "She knows a lot of spells."

"She kept trying to tell me a professional needed to handle this," Draco chuckled, watching the girl. "If she doesn't take a career in medicine when we graduate I'll be floored."

Theo nodded, glancing around the common room. Draco sent most of the curious students off to bed when they arrived, threatening detention and chores if they didn't do as he said. There were only seven people standing in the common room now, making the space feel much larger than it really was. Hermione didn't even seem aware of the lack of students, continuing to work on poor Pansy.

"Did you tell her yet that it was my package?" Theo continued, eyeing his friend. "Pansy shouldn't have opened it to begin with, but I think she knew what was inside. I was debating if I should throw it away or give it to Hermione to use to test a solution on. I didn't think they'd send me more Willow's Weep to tempt me."

Shrugging one shoulder, Draco glanced at his friend. "They cannot afford to lose followers. You already tried breaking off your addiction once, they won't just let you get away with it again. I guess Pansy could just sense what was inside, and she took the chance of opening it. Pity really. She had no way of knowing it's a deadly potency."

"If Astoria didn't smack the vial out of her hand and break it she would be dead," he replied, eyebrows drawing together. "So they were just trying to kill me because they couldn't control me? I wonder if they've tried that on anyone they've weaseled into following them, the ones who are actively working for them."

"Hard to say." He groaned, rubbing one side of his head as he glanced around the room. Blaise was crouched beside Pansy, rubbing gentle circles on her temples as Hermione tried to force her to drink the solution. It was the same concoction she'd made before, unwilling to try anything else on someone suffering so badly. To the side stood Daphne and Astoria, the elder holding her sister's shoulders as she shook. Astoria was pretty carefree. Seeing one of her friends almost die was an unpleasant wake-up call that Willow's Weep was not to be played with.

"Have you found out anything else about the Carrows?"

"Since this morning? No. We were going to do a little unprecedented sneaking around tonight after patrols, but that's gone out the window now that she's treating Pansy. I don't know if we will be able to sneak off campus tomorrow."

"What did you plan on investigating?"

Draco shrugged, his eyes following Hermione's movements. She looked a little haggard as she let her arms drop, Pansy having swallowed all of the solution she'd made. Now they needed to give it a little time to take effect. If she passed out before then it would be hard to determine if it was really all that helpful or not. "We were going to check out a potion shop in Diagon Alley, one we visited not long ago. Weasel and Brown took a picture in front of it and now her brain is spinning. She's already come up with multiple possibilities why they would've been there."

"Sounds like Granger," Theo laughed lowly. He looked sideways at Draco, smiling coyly. "Have you asked her out yet then?"

"Do you really think this is the time?"

"Pansy's coming around," he replied, nodding to the girl. She cracked her eyes open, staring blankly around the room. Hermione and Blaise were in her face in an instant, leaving little room for anyone else to get too close. "Besides, you've only been spending most of your days with her for weeks. I figured by now she'd at least be your official girlfriend. You ever had one of those before?"

"You're unbelievable," Draco muttered, shaking his head. "I'm not going to have this talk right now."

"That means no, you're avoiding asking her. And why exactly? I doubt she'd say no."

"I'm just going to ignore you."

"Just think about it Draco," Theo continued, his voice light. "I'm sure she'd love the gesture. Besides, it's always good to know where you stand with someone, right?"

Flabbergasted, he stood back as Nott moved across the room, joining the others as Pansy became more aware. She wasn't so pale anymore, her eyes actually able to focus on the faces in front of her. He hesitated a moment before heading over, pushing Theo's comments to the side.

There were too many other things to worry about right now. He couldn't focus on something as simple as his relationship status with Hermione. Besides, with everything else going on, would she really appreciate the distraction?

 **A/n:** Somewhat a filler chapter, but some development too. I'm hoping to be able to post chapters every week for 2 for this story, so I'm hoping to keep that streak going.

Now that it's April I feel I need to make an update on my stories so everyone knows what's going on. In October I will be getting married, so the wedding planning is well underway now! The closer we get to the big day, unfortunately the slower updates will become for a while but they will still happen, trust me there.

It's crazy to think I can officially tell my readers I'm getting married. When I first started on the site 9 years ago, I was barely old enough to use it and now I'm getting hitched! Thanks to everyone that's ready along, and don't forget to review!


	19. Chapter 19

Hermione was well prepared for their next outing to Hogsmeade, and hopefully Diagon Alley. All she wanted to do was find the next clue to get them one step closer to finding Ron, and hopefully stop whatever was brewing.

Leaning back in the chair at her desk Saturday night, she debated how long they really had to wait before leaving. After Pansy's episode that morning Draco stayed down in the Slytherin common rooms, wanting to ensure his longtime friend was okay before leaving. That was early this morning, and the sky was already darkening from the approaching night.

Nobody had tried to contact her since then, so she assumed Parkinson was okay. Her hands still shook remembering that morning and the terror that swept through her, wondering if she could really save someone's life.

She could, and the truth gave her strength. She knew how to counter addiction, which meant she had to be close to stopping it. Her supplement wasn't foolproof, but she was closer than anyone else in finding a solution. It gave her a slight confidence boost, enough so to push her to keep working.

The process was challenging, and she enjoyed getting to really test her mind. Flexing her fingers, she tried to clear her head once more. When she got distracted from her task her mind didn't work as well, and she wanted complete focus when she combined the ingredients. She didn't just want to keep mixing ingredients together haphazardly until something exploded.

"Don't tell me you're still at it," Draco said, surprising the brunette. She hadn't even heard him come in, lost in her own thoughts. She turned to find him sitting on the sofa, studying her. "You know you are supposed to give your mind a break sometimes, right?"

"The sooner I crack it the sooner I'm done," she joked, winking. Instead of looking giddy she felt tired, drained from the past week. "I just want this to be over Draco. I'm tired of constantly worrying, and the sooner I complete the potion the better."

Looking unconvinced he rested his head on the back of the sofa, eyes never leaving her. "So you're still hell-bent on breaking the rules to study a god damn wall?"

"There's some sort of connection there," she defended, thinking of the photograph she'd taken from Ginny. "I just know it. We're stuck in a rut right now. Even if a cure for the drug is created it does little good if we don't know where people are. We don't even know what the Carrows are planning."

His expression darkened, thinking about the maniacal siblings who worked under Voldemort. He had little firsthand experience with them, but there were more than enough stories floating around to know they were bad news. Pansy used to constantly complain about how creepy Amycus could be, and he doubted imprisonment and a jailbreak did anything to curdle the hate he harbored.

"Whatever it is, it's probably some half-arsed attempt to overthrow the Ministry, the usual," he complained, rolling his eyes. "All plans are basically one in the same. Even if they just want revenge, ultimately it would end up overthrowing the current people in power if they won."

"That's true," she sighed, leaning back in the chair once more. "But unless we happen to find one of them just hiding out at the school I doubt we will find out anything without capturing them. So our best bet is following the lead in this picture, even if it's fickle. Maybe it's nothing, but at least we're doing something instead of waiting around for trouble to come to us."

Draco smiled ruefully, catching onto her tone. "It always does."

* * *

Traveling out of the school grounds really wasn't a difficult task when you did it enough times. Even with the security measures enforced by the Ministry (and slightly diminished by the Headmistress when she believed they were too invasive) all it really took to get off the grounds was to know the patterns. A staff member was supposed to patrol with a member of the Ministry or an Auror, but most of the time the people slacked off. Who would want to leave the grounds with so much insanity going on in the real world?

Actually, a lot of people would if memory served Hermione well. Minerva wasn't punishing students who snuck out to the same degree that Dumbledore did. Sometimes she almost thought the Headmistress encouraged it. After all, a fair amount of the students enrolled this year survived a war less than a year ago. Measly security could not hold a torch to them.

Besides, she knew that Minerva thought all the Ministry interference was overrated. Whatever immediate threat the drug posed to the school had passed on, and she very well knew it. At this point she just seemed to be humoring the Ministry as much as she could allow to avoid an all-out war for their interference.

There was a reason she was always Hermione's favorite teacher.

Draco and Hermione had their routine down pat now to a point they could pass outside the barriers on the grounds and be on their way in roughly ten minutes. The workout was good for her; once Ron's addiction started she did little physical work, the mental toll taking a tax on her. Now though it felt wonderful to hone in her skills again and truly recall the advanced combatant she was months ago.

Tonight was no exception. They were nearly off the grounds to a point where they could apparate when things went south, stopping the duo in their well-practiced tracks.

Hermione actually felt her heart still for a moment. No, this couldn't be. She absolutely could not believe it.

Stumbling towards them was a figure, the gleaming moonlight dancing off her features. Even through the blood and the broken ankle she was sporting, Hermione would recognize her anywhere. What she didn't understand was why she was stumbling along the path to Hogwarts in the middle of the night, looking half alive.

"Lavender," she whispered, the words dancing off her tongue. The Gryffindor student stopped several feet in front of the barrier, collapsing when the crushed bones in her right foot would simply no longer support her, and she slammed into the ground with a strangled cry.

"Fucking hell," Draco cursed, drawing his wand. In the light he produced she looked even worse, the skin on her face so bloody and swollen she might not be recognizable if the pair wasn't familiar with her face. He started forward, looking somewhat unsure of himself as he did so. Rushing to people's aid wasn't exactly something he typically jumped into.

Hermione beat him to it, her surprise and simmering anger quenched when she watched her rival collapse into the ground, unable to move any farther. Friend or foe, she was still a human being and she was suffering. Lacking any of Draco's hesitation she fell to her knees in the grass in front of them, turning Lavender's form to her side as best she could.

"Lavender!" she cried, forcing the uneven locks of her hair out of her face. Through the swelling and the dim light she couldn't tell if she smelled like the drug, much less if she appeared high. Half-hopeful Hermione let her eyes dance off into the distance, wondering if she would see Ron appear in a similar state. He'd be in great pain, but at least he'd be home.

 _Ron_.

Forcing away the thoughts of her ex she focused on the girl before her, noticing how labored her breathing was and the fact that her eyes were no longer open. "Screw the plan, she needs immediate medical attention. We need positions I don't have on hand. She's bleeding and that ankle looks broken in more than one spot. Come on, help me get her to the castle!"

Draco watched as she tried to lift the girl up herself, momentarily holding her against her shoulder before her frazzled mind recalled she had magic, and reached for her wand. "You want to rush and help her after everything she's put you through?"

"That doesn't matter right now!" Hermione snapped angrily, glaring at him. "Are you going to help me carry her or are you going to just stand there?"

Huffing he relented, stepping forward to grab the now unconscious girl. She passed out as Draco reached for her, the sudden dead weight on Hermione's shoulder nearly causing her to crash into the ground. Deftly he managed to catch Brown, swinging her rather carelessly over one shoulder.

Well, if she was passed out Hermione supposed she wouldn't be able to complain about what a disgrace that was.

"Have it your way," Draco sighed, jogging to keep up with her as they made a mad dash back to the castle. "Let's just hope this isn't a set up."

* * *

Hermione stood back, watching as McGonagall was finally left alone with Lavender. Per request no one except Pomfrey was informed of Lavender's sudden return, and the Headmistress rather curtly told each of the awake teachers in turn that they should not tell a soul that Brown returned yet. As soon as the Ministry caught wind of that they would swoop in and take her to St. Mungo's, and who knew what kinds of treatment they would approve there.

The school was well equipped to handle something minor like broken bones and bruises. Apparently the marks on Lavender's face and neck were the results of being punched, the skin having broken and bled from what they presumed to be rings. Now Lavender lay still on the mattress, resting after the sleeping draught Pomfrey gave her.

McGonagall wasted no time fixing the two students with an icy glare once Pomfrey left them in peace, explaining that she would be alerted if Lavender's condition suddenly changed. "Do I even want to know why you two were slipping off school grounds at this hour?"

"Just a little hands-on investigating," Hermione replied sheepishly, refusing to look at Draco. Already they'd been lectured by the stern woman before them, and Minerva took a nice sized jab at him several times before finally letting up. He hadn't said much since. "Nights really the only time to sneak off after all."

"I suppose we can thank our beloved Ministry for that," the Headmistress agreed, rolling her eyes. "However, I cannot condone this kind of behavior, and from our head students much less! I can't keep Ms. Brown's return a secret, I hope you understand this. Come morning I am honor bound to tell the Ministry that we found someone potentially important to their investigation."

"Please don't do it until after she wakes!" Hermione stressed, jumping from her seat. "She's the only one that will have inside information about what is going on, no matter how minor. Any insight is important to figure out the true purpose behind everything. If she goes with the Ministry right away we won't get any answers."

 _And I won't be able to ask about Ron._

From the corner of her eye she could see Draco watching her, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. From the expression on his face she almost felt like he knew what she was thinking, but that was impossible.

She didn't even understand what she was thinking.

Ron left in a rush before, cheating on her and destroying a large part of her self-esteem. What she planned to do when she found him was not a consideration until now. She figured they would find both of them at once, and they would disappear to St. Mungo's and then the interrogation rooms to answer for their crimes and their use of an illegal substance.

Hopefully at that point she would have a cure and the hospital could use that in place of their disabling fix that they used now. She couldn't imagine the heartbreak the Weasley family would endure if they lost not one son this year, but in essence two. No, it would be too much.

Still, she hadn't actually contemplated what would become of her and Ron. They were no longer together, but she was putting a lot of dedication into an endeavor that would in the end benefit him. Now that she was actually staring Lavender in the face she was at a loss for what to really do.

"I can't guarantee anything," Minerva stressed, breaking her out of her thoughts. Beside her she felt Draco's presence, his hand finding hers in the shadowed room. Glancing his way, she couldn't help but smile. No matter what, things were different now and like everything else that happened, they couldn't go back. "She crossed through the wards with the drug in her system, a large amount of it too. The wards are supposed to warn us when something like this occurs. The Ministry might well already know, even in this early hour."

"But we have to talk first," she replied, glancing between the two. Draco's eyes were unreadable, guarded, something she hadn't seen in quite a while. "This is the only true lead we've had! If it slips by who knows how long it will be until we have another."

Minerva shrugged, looking helpless. "I will do what I can, but I cannot stop the inevitable. Someone will come to collect Ms. Brown and bring her to St. Mungo's, that is the procedure for all addicts now. She isn't even awake right now, and we have no idea when that will be. You know I want all of this stopped Hermione, but there is no one person in charge here. It's all being controlled for us at the moment."

Her shoulders fell, looking at the unconscious girl before them. If Lavender didn't wake before Ministry officials arrived, then she might not get the answers she wanted at all.

* * *

Draco sat on a bed across from the pair, somewhat glaring at them. The old bat left just under three hours ago, and Brown woke up only about forty minutes ago. She'd been in a fit, lost somewhere in a drug-infused trip and unable to tell reality from daydream.

While she was still passed out Hermione had gone upstairs to snag some of her newest supplement mixture to give to Brown in this exact scenario. Fifteen minutes after she'd gotten her version of the cure into her system the girl finally calmed down enough to speak.

He tried to focus once more on their conversation, but his mind was scattered. Hermione's voice when she spoke to McGonagall was extremely hopeful, like she desperately wanted to know news of Weasel.

It was unnerving. Wasn't she supposed to be over that guy? They were together… or at least they officially would be if he'd managed his time better and asked. Theo's words echoed in his mind from their last conversation, and he scowled at the truth in them.

He was not losing the bookworm, at least not so easily. He'd only seen hope in her eyes and voice, nothing more. He'd also been able to sense and hear the uncertainly in her own questions, like she wasn't totally sure why she was so eager to know.

Swallowing hard, he forced down _that_ emotion again. He couldn't blame anyone but himself that he wasn't officially together with Granger since he hadn't even properly asked. He wanted to be, but he was no longer certain how that would be received if he did ask. Her mind seemed to be focused on Weasley once again, and he couldn't say he really liked or understood that.

She was _his_ now. Weasley had his chance and abused the opportunity. Even if he came back a changed man he'd have to go through withdrawal therapy and potentially serve time for using the drug. He wouldn't come back shiny and new and perfect, no matter the scenario.

Draco knew he had her, now he just needed to learn enough about Weasel's current situation to remind Hermione why.

Reservations be damned, he'd fallen for her and the idea of Weasley slipping back in between them caused his anger to flare. He wouldn't express that though, not in this time or place. When Hermione calmed down and had time to think she would be more reasonable and in a better mood. He'd just have to watch his time to ensure he asked at the perfect moment so she didn't have any doubts.

"I don't like you," Lavender was saying, glaring half-heartedly up at Hermione as she spoke. "But whatever you gave me might be working. When I'm without, I usually can't converse for this long without having a breakdown."

"It's interesting to see how it works for someone who's had mostly constant access to the drug the past couple weeks," she agreed, studying the girl before her. So far Hermione hadn't looked away from Brown since giving her the supplement, occasionally scratching down notes like a madwoman.

"You're stupider than I thought if you think we got those drugs easy," Brown snapped, attempting to sit up. Her body was too drained and she simply remained where she was, her angry expression intensifying. She'd tried getting up several times that night in the dark, and thus far nothing worked. Her body had literally no energy, magical or not. "We have to do a lot, sell a lot, to get more. It's hard work."

"Sell?" Hermione asked, tapping her quill. So far they skated around the topic of Weasel, like it was taboo. "So the people who are addicted distribute?"

"Hardly!" Lavendar barked, thrashing in the bed. She didn't have enough energy to support herself to sit up, but she seemed to have no qualms throwing herself about on the twin sized mattress, exaggerating her aggravation. "All I ever did was find more people to slip the drug to. I'm not a higher up. Unless I purchased my share I never got to touch the Willow's Weep."

"So-"

"Are you really going to drone on like this?" she continued, completely cutting Hermione off. "Ask me what you really want to. Go on! I know you don't give a fuck about me, you just want to know where he is!"

Draco frowned, watching the irate girl glare up at his dorm mate. So far Hermione managed to remain composed despite her battling emotions, something he commended her for. Watching her body language it was apparent that she stiffened at Lavender's words, knowing exactly what she was saying.

He didn't like that at all. No, she threw Weasley out the moment he tossed her to the side. She had to remember that and not suddenly go soft.

"Fine, if you are so determined to dig into my subconscious I'll humor you; where's Ron?"

"So she speaks!" Lavender squealed, eyebrows dancing up and down. "I knew you couldn't resist! We had a bet going that you were still pining for him!"

Hermione's eyebrow twitched, but otherwise she remained expressionless. "I'm not pining for Ron, but I do want to make sure he's alive-"

"He's alive and fine," she interrupted, snapping her neck in the other direction. "He's more than fine actually, he's bloody brilliant! Amycus likes him you know." She paused, pouting. "He gets more runs than I do, so he has more of a fix."

"Why does he get more?"

Lavender shrugged, the first complete action she'd managed since she woke up. "Dunno. He's in pain when he's not on the drug, and he feels better when he is. I get that, it's the same for me but I can cope a little better. Ron's high almost all the time, he's got a constant buzz going."

Draco watched as Hermione's hands clenched, nearly snapping her quill in two. He decided it was time to intervene, knowing the two could probably stay on the topic of Weasel for ages. Hopping off the bed he moved to the other side of Brown to sit on the bed, trying to keep himself from glaring at her.

"The Ministry will come in the morning for you, you know this right?" he asked, ignoring Hermione's dangerous look. She didn't want to tell Lavender about that since she just woke up but he disagreed. The more out in the open they were the better.

"Oh yes," she replied, nodding. "Yes, yes. They said if we were caught that would happen. But that's what they wanted, so I suppose it doesn't matter."

He tensed, leaning closer to the girl on the bed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, they knew I'd be found," she continued, head swiveling back to stare at the ceiling. "Alceto figured someone would find me out by the barrier or closer to the gates. Either way it didn't matter, she gave me so much Weep for doing this!"

He decided to not ask if she actually got to use the drug she bargained for, deciding knowing wouldn't do them any damn good. "Brown – Lavender, listen. Before you go, there are some things we must know. Why would the Carrow's willingly give you back? Everyone's been in hiding for so long we're surprised to see you."

"They didn't give me back," Lavender said, looking at the pair in turn. "Why would they? I mean, they were angry after I snuck off and gave Theo Nott more – _and let me tell you, their punishments are something of legends_ – but they need me. I'm insightful, and everyone I sell to loves me! I'm not allowed to hand out the drugs anymore but I'm useful, yes sir!"

Draco noted how unconvinced Hermione looked, glancing at the girl's previously beaten body. "Then why did you look half dead when we found you? If you were sent why did you look like a victim?"

"Oh, that," Lavender whispered, her voice dropping. "The Carrow's like me, but not everyone likes the Carrows. The Carrows like me because I'm pretty and I can sell a lot, and I'm friends with Ron! Anyone mad at them though goes after their favorites. I'm a favorite, at least I was. Now that I'm getting sent to St. Mungo's and I fucked up my mission, I'm sure they won't like me anymore."

"What mission?"

Lavender tilted her head on the pillows, thinking the question over. Finally she turned to Hermione, eyes not quite able to focus on her form. "You of course. If we do as they please, they will let us each choose someone to join the group before the revolt. I chose Ron, but Ron chose you. They promised you to him before, right?"

Draco felt his temper flare, tired of constantly hearing these bullshit deals everyone came up with. "Why would they send you to get her? You two aren't friends, she wouldn't just go with you."

"Well they won't let Ron!" she hissed, glaring at the ceiling again. "I-I failed my last mission. I'm a favorite… but not the past few days. I volunteered because you're so god damn _popular_ among Death Eaters, they all know you. Both of you. If they can break you, it's a major victory before the final showdown."

Hermione bristled, and Draco inwardly smiled at her sudden anger. "No one is going to _break_ me, thank you. And I would never have gone with you. I don't care what he was promised, it doesn't matter. It's time you both come home and end this nonsense."

"There is no home!" Lavendar screeched, her voice rising. "Not for me, or anyone else! My parents died in the war, Ron's brother is a ghost. We all lost someone. There is no home anymore! Only there, only with others who understand."

Watching the girl across from him, he saw understanding dance across her face. The Carrow's were not careless in who they targeted. Minds that could be easily corrupted were too easy of a target. Still, he knew Hermione originally succumbed to Weasel's habits because of his own grief, and he understood that she could see how these circumstances corrupted others.

It was still inexcusable.

Standing from her seat Hermione glared down at the girl between them, her eyes alive and gleaming in the dark room. "I don't care about your own motives Lavender, they do not serve my cause. Where is Ron? Where's the base? If people can be recovered and this whole operation is stopped there will be less lasting damage."

"Don't you understand? You can't stop them! They will not be wronged twice!"

"Wronged for what? By who, the Ministry?"

"Of course!" she screamed, her voice echoing off the walls. Draco could see Hermione visibly flinch, the sound not a good sign. Pomfrey would force them away if they caused too much of a disturbance. "And all of you! Everyone who looked down on them and didn't give them a chance at justice after the war!"

"They abused their position of power here at the school," Hermione corrected, looking confused. "They threatened students and completely supported Voldemort. They might feel wronged, they might even hate those in power, but how can they want to destroy our means for controlling the population? If the Ministry is destroyed, and my understanding is that is their ultimate goal, then things would tumble into chaos. Don't you see? You wouldn't be helping them, but destroying any civilized future you could hope for."

"None of the people here mean anything to me," she seethed, eyes practically bulging out of her head. "No one helped me after the war, no one cared. I was left to my own devices, and eventually I found the Weep. Now I'm hole again. _They_ gave me a means to feel this way again."

Hermione sighed, a look of pity shifting across her face. She stepped away from the bed, sighing. "You won't listen to me, no matter how I try to reason with you. You aren't even making sense anymore. I wish you would try to help us, so many people will be relieved when everything finally lets us. Contact me if you change your mind, but I realize there is no reasoning with you here. I won't argue with someone mad."

Without another word she turned and bolted from the lengthy room, Draco standing half a second later to follow. He didn't glance back at the quiet girl on the bed as he departed, not seeing any reason to. She believed her loyalties were to the Carrows and to _Weasley_ of all people. There would be no reasoning with her.

Pity. They had a lead, but it didn't actually take them anywhere. Without more information, they were stuck in the same place as before.

Maybe she'd feel different in the morning, when she was being dragged to St. Mungo's. Maybe when she had no other options, she would actually say something.

 **A/n:** No real excuses for the late chapter, life just got in the way. Let me know your thoughts, I'm hoping to get this story finished in the next 5-7 chapters, so it's slowly coming to a close! Let me know your thoughts.


	20. Chapter 20

"Come on Malfoy, no dallying! I'm not missing this!"

Hermione was about five steps ahead of him, dragging him out of bed on Sunday at the ungodly hour of six in the morning. She was all up in arms, ready to find Lavender before she could be dragged off by the Ministry. They had one slim chance of getting anything out of her, and he knew she wouldn't pass that up.

"Okay, okay! Just quit yelling, you'll wake someone," he grumbled, following her out of the common room. She had yet to stop her breakneck pace, one side of her hair still partially sticking up as she took off down the hall. She had a spring in her step, despite her socks being mismatched and one of her laces wasn't even tied.

She was pretty adorable when she got all worked up like that, pining for a solution to make itself known.

Shaking the idea out of his head before it distracted him he jogged to catch up, gently grabbing her arm when they were next to each other again. "Walk. The Ministry won't be here yet. You think they get off their arses this early in the morning? She's still there, and I doubt she's even up yet."

"Well she needs to be," Hermione replied, arms resting determinably across her chest. "She's got to answer us. My substitute should be kicking in by now. Maybe she's sane enough to tell me where Ron is."

Draco frowned, glancing sideways at the brunette. He didn't like that her main focus was still the Weasel. If he'd been cooped up so long with the Carrows then he doubted he was in the right state of mind, and he'd be destructive in her life the moment they found him. So long as she kept hanging onto a thread of hope that she could save him, his return would destroy her.

He couldn't let that happen, Weasley clan be damned. If Weasel was bad before when he was only on the stuff when he could get it, Draco didn't want to imagine how twisted his mind had become from all that time off by himself with Brown, taking the drug in like candy.

He wouldn't allow her to fall back into her old victim habit. She was so much stronger than that, and Weasley would undoubtedly want things back right as they were before. Even if Brown got in the middle, he still believed Hermione would try to save him, and give him way too much of herself.

No way in hell. That would just ruin Draco's own plans, and he couldn't allow that.

They made it to the hospital wing in record time, picking up on the stammering voice just inside the room. Draco forced Hermione to slow down, the anticipation dancing in her eyes. They couldn't just barge in when they didn't know who was in there.

Glancing in, they quickly realized Lavender was alone and talking to herself. Well, that didn't instill a lot of confidence. Hermione shook off his arm and stalked in, interrupting whatever Lavender was muttering to herself.

It took a few seconds before her eyes seemed able to focus on the approaching head students, and when they did her eyelids drooped a bit in disappointment. "Oh, you're back."

 _Well, at least she's not preaching about the Carrow's this time. That's a bonus._

Hermione seemed to also pick up on her much more settled state of mind, immediately pulling up a chair beside the bed and plopping down, Draco standing slightly behind her. He didn't want to intrude on her interrogation, but he also didn't want her straying to the topic of Weasley too much. Getting lost in dreams of saving him would only distract her, and start up an unhealthy pattern again.

"Feeling a little better?" she asked, her voice much calmer than Draco expected. "Maybe you don't deserve it, but I gave you some of a potion I've been working on that helps fight off addiction. You won't suffer withdrawals as badly as others have this way. Notice a difference?"

Lavender looked surprised, her expression perking up a bit. "Really, you did that for me?"

"I don't know if anyone truly deserves to suffer," Hermione replied quietly, her gaze staring intently at the girl, "Even if these are the results of your own choices. But leaving you to suffer won't do me any good. I can't stop this so-called revolt unless I know what I'm up against, and we can't start helping to heal anyone until we know where to find them. If you tell me, I'll make sure something's done right away."

"Why would you care?" she snapped, her senses definitely sharpened from last night. "Ron doesn't care about you anymore. _I_ don't care about you. You personally gain nothing."

"That's not the point," Hermione argued, leaning forward in her chair. "Are you certain Ron no longer cares for me? I seem to recall you telling us that he wanted me just last night. I was _promised_ to him, chosen out of everyone that he could pick from to join your little ranks. How could he hate me if he picked me?"

She laughed, the bitterness inside her shining through. "Ron doesn't know what he wants anymore. Most of the time he's too drugged to even realize what he's doing. Do you know he called me by your name the other day?" She laughed again, her eyes dropping as she spoke. "Then he hit me and wanted to know why I wanted to change him."

Hermione flinched, and Draco found himself soothing out her shoulders, rubbing gentle circles into the blades. He'd thought that Weasley would forget her while he was off gallivanting with the druggies, but apparently old habits die hard.

Even hallucinating, he thought he could beat her. Inexcusable.

Shaken, her voice came out weaker than before. "I-I'm sorry that happened. He's not himself when he's on the Willow's Weep."

Lavender snorted, the most lifelike thing she'd done since they arrived. "Yeah, you keep saying that. If you ask me he's more himself than any other time. At least when he's high he's happy."

Her shoulders stiffened in his hands, and he could feel the unease seeping out of her. Just like he feared, she'd gotten tied up on the topic of Weasley and forgotten the main point. Giving her a comforting squeeze, he picked up the conversation, glancing at the clock. They didn't have long before he figured the Ministry would be alerted and barge in.

"Where's their headquarters?" he asked, diverting the topic. "We need to know where to look for them. The sooner they are found the sooner any threat is nullified."

Lavender hesitated, biting her already chapped lips. He imagined they bled quite a lot while she was gone. There was fear in her eyes now, something they were seeing for the first time. "If I tell you, they'll kill me."

"If they are arrested then the threat is gone," Hermione reasoned, jumping in. "But we can't guarantee that if you don't tell us the truth. Come on Lavender, I can see it in your eyes. You don't want to be a part of this anymore. Just tell us where the location is and we and the Ministry will handle it. But you have to talk."

She glanced away, seemingly at war with herself. Her hands were starting to shake, an early sign that Hermione's supplement was beginning to wear off. If they couldn't reason with her before her mind cracked or the Ministry barged in they wouldn't get any answers at all.

"Glasgow," she muttered, her voice barely piercing the early morning silence. "That's the rendezvous point between runs, and where the Carrow's are. I… I don't know the address, it's warded. I can tell you what it's between though. You… you can't tell them I told you."

Hermione was quiet for a split second, probably trying to figure out how they got so lucky. Last night Lavender's screeching caused them to believe she wouldn't actually give them any answers, and would only continue to dodge their questions.

Like a lot of addicts, she was a totally different person when the drugs were taken away. Draco didn't know much about her before Willow's Weep became an issue, just that she was obsessed with Weasel. Her priorities were a little skewed, but at least she knew when to give in.

Hopefully she wasn't yanking their rope. They had no way of knowing if she was being honest or not, and Glasgow would be a bit of traveling even by floo or apparition. Of course they were somewhere far enough from the Ministry headquarters to be out of sight and mind, but close enough to arrive unexpectedly when they wanted.

"Please," Hermione said earnestly, leaning forward in her chair once more. "We'll make sure someone goes down to handle them and stop the Carrow's. I know you think they've been wronged-"

"I said that?" Lavender asked, momentarily pulled from her sad thoughts. "I… I think they've been wronged?"

Pausing, Hermione glanced over her shoulder at the blond. Lavender was more than a little drugged when she arrived if she completely forgot that tidbit. But it did instill a bit of confidence if she looked so surprised by her statement now.

Given her disgust, Draco didn't think she actually believed that, but was probably convinced of it before being sent on her way last night.

Interesting, if she remained on the drug he assumed she could be completely brainwashed. And if Weasley was almost constantly high like she said, he might already be buying all this bullshit the Carrow's kept telling people.

Which made him that much more dangerous to be around Hermione. Removing his hands from her shoulders so she couldn't feel them clench he replied, "Apparently not. They probably just needed you to believe that so you'd deliver your message… whatever that was."

Lavender's expression darkened, glancing at the pair in turn. "Yes… my mission. I was supposed to get you for Ron but, but that can't be right. They beat me up too much to return…"

"Maybe it's like a calling card," Hermione said quietly, her voice almost lost beneath the quiver in her tone. "You weren't meant to get me so much as send a message that they are coming for me, and whoever they can get their hands on too."

"I don't understand-" Lavender began.

"So you think they'd try storming the castle before the Ministry?" Draco interrupted, thinking it over. It sort of made sense, especially for people like Pansy who constantly teetered on the edge of addiction. Besides, Brown's ramblings hadn't given them a better hint so far. "Students, young people who have lost someone loved, are easily corrupted. Makes sense why they had one of those caravans right outside the school then. Easy pickings, and people will go running back to them if they need their fix."

"Which means the sooner we stop them the better," Hermione agreed, standing up. "Tell me what the buildings around their headquarters look like. If they could get more forces from the school, it might be enough to attack the Ministry, especially if the students are given enough incentive. We can't let that happen. The fact that they target students is sickening enough."

Lavender's eyes widened, looking horrified. "You're going to confront them? This isn't a job for us anymore! War is over-"

"War is coming from what you told us last night," Draco interrupted, crossing his arms. "We're well aware of how to handle one, even if the Ministry should be responsible solely for dealing with threats at this point. So far they've done a shoddy job of keeping this under control, so I don't know why you'd think we'd just leave this to _professionals_."

"He's right," Hermione added, glancing around. There was something going on in the hallway, and Draco realized someone was approaching. "We don't have time to debate though. Please, the location! We can argue all of this later."

"What's going to happen to me?" Lavender asked, real fear in her eyes now. Her hands clenched together, the voices in the hallway drawing closer. "What will they-"

"Lavender, location," Hermione pressed, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "Please, we won't let them pick on you but we have to go after the others first. Please."

Without hesitation, she tightened her hands into fists, pulling away from Hermione. "It's right on the shady side of town, you can't miss it. All the buildings are rundown. It's between an old, three story building and a blue-"

Draco didn't give her time to finish, grabbing Hermione as the voices reached the doorway, dragging her behind the nearest screen. She didn't protest, catching on to what he was doing just as some people entered the room, walking directly to Lavender's bed.

"-is a student! I don't care if she is in trouble with the law, you will treat her with respect!" Minerva seethed, her voice echoing in the room. "No- I said respect! If you expect me to release her then you will not treat one of Hogwarts students like a criminal!"

"We're just doing our job," someone defended, definitely a female and definitely afraid. Draco couldn't exactly blame her, the headmistress was a force to be reckoned with when she wanted to be. "She needs to be at St. Mungo's receiving treatment."

"Then let the bloody Healer do it!" she chirped. "And you! Gently, we move the students gently! She's still in a fragile state. I'm entrusting you to handle one of our students with care."

"She'll be well taken care of at St. Mungo's," someone else promised, a man this time. "I take my job very seriously. She has to be cleared before we will let any Ministry officials interrogate her. Correct Auror Weiss?"

The first woman huffed. "Yes, of course. We aren't going to torture her."

"I'm more worried about you banging her head into something!" Minerva snapped, her voice shifting away. Draco hadn't heard a spell being cast to remove Brown, but she was strangely quiet. Glancing at Hermione, they peered around the corner of the screen as the voices departed.

Lavender was floating, obviously unconscious, in front of a tall bald man wearing Healer's robes. The Auror was walking beside McGonagall, seeming to cower beneath her stern words.

When they were gone the two stepped from their hiding place, looking to the lone bed Lavender vacated. A heaviness settled over the room, the weight of what they had learned seemed to weigh them down.

"Well, at least we have a location," Draco grumbled, already displeased. Why Glasgow? That seemed like a lot of traveling for no damn reason. It wasn't even close to Azkaban, so why would they even be holed up there? "That's a start."

Hermione nodded, staring in the direction Lavender was taken. There was nothing they could do for her now, not with the information they gathered looming over their heads. They had a duty now to save all the people addicted to Willow's Weep, but the question was how.

Straightening her back, Hermione forced a smile. "Time to get to work."

* * *

Before noon, both the headmistress and Harry knew of what Lavender told them. Telling Harry was a little more complicated than Hermione preferred, and she really only gave him what she believed he had to know. It was up to Minerva to tell the Ministry now what they learned. At least it would seem less suspicious if the headmistress gathered this information and not two meddling teens.

Draco found her in her room shortly after, preparing a bag. Just as she expected, he wasn't pleased. "What exactly are you doing?"

"What's it look like? I'm getting supplies," she replied, shrugging like it was obvious. Without missing a beat she picked up another dose of her potion, stuffing it into her bag. "We're not just going to wait around for the Ministry to do something. By the time they actually get around to it the Carrow's will have already stormed the school. I can't just wait around for that to happen."

She could feel his eyes on her as she picked up another item to pack. "And you really think you're prepared for that? You're just going to run off and play the hero?"

"Well, yes," she agreed, frowning. "Harry did it all the time, and it always worked out for him."

"Yeah, that's because he's _Potter_ ," Draco snapped, stepping forward to press his hands over her bag, preventing her from putting anything else inside. "I don't know how he managed to rush into so many battles unprepared and still _live_ , but that's a talent few have. You'd be rushing to suicide. They already sent Brown here to apprehend you or jinx you, they have to know you're not going to take that sitting down. Running in like a lunatic is exactly what their expecting."

"It's not like I'm going alone," she replied, arching an eyebrow. "I'm assuming you will come with me."

"And why the hell would you assume that?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, a coy smile dancing across her lips. "Because I know you won't let me go alone anyway."

"I'm not letting you go at all," he snapped, picking up the bag. She stiffened, eyes narrowing to slits as he tossed it to the side. "The Ministry doesn't even know about the location of the Carrow's yet, much less their involvement. If they broke out of Azkaban the Ministry will be all over that in a heartbeat. There's no reason you need to go rushing to people's aid."

"I can't just abandon them!" she snapped, hands flying to her hips. "Those people are literally killing themselves right now. The longer we sit back and wait _we_ are becoming part of the problem! People who sit back and do nothing even when they know something is wrong are the worst type of enablers."

"You're not doing nothing," he reasoned, "You're breaking your neck trying to find a cure for this addiction. That's something no one else can do. Only Hermione Granger can. Running off to find the location will only set you back. You're losing focus. Other people can go off and find them, people who haven't been doing anything. We've told others, they can be the ones to run off and play hero. You're needed for a different reason."

Hermione paused, looking torn. He was right, she didn't yet have her potion perfected to help people get off their addiction. Lavender's fix was only temporary, and what she did to help Pansy was nothing more than trial and error. If they found all these addicts, the Carrows, everyone, what were they going to do? Turn everyone into a vegetable?

No, she couldn't let them do that. It was morally wrong, and all those people wouldn't get a chance to atone for what they did. If she got distracted helping, she'd lose sight of what she'd already done.

Still, it didn't completely convince her. "But I… I can't just sit back and wait Draco. I've always been right there in the fray and that won't change now. I need to go help him-"

"Him," Draco echoed, sighing. She realized her mistake immediately, clamping her lips together tightly. "You still think you're going to be Weasel's hero?"

"I can't just abandon him," she replied, her voice dropping. Her eyes sank down, staring at the comforter on her bed. Lavender's story echoed in her head, but she brushed it off. "I have to see this through to the end."

Draco caught her chin, forcing her to look up at him again. For a time she dropped Ron from her mind, trying to find a solution for the good of everyone and not just her ex. But now that there was a chance they would find him, that she'd see him again, she couldn't shake his image from her mind. Would he be disappointed or angry if after all this time she didn't have an answer to his problem?

"You don't owe him anything," Draco reminded, his eyes delving into hers, searching her soul. He brushed her chin affectionately, refusing to let go. "You heard what Brown said he did, just when he thought she was you. Why would you ever consider going back to that?"

"I'm not," she replied, meeting his gaze. "I… couldn't. Ron chose Lavender over me a long time ago, drugs or not. I won't just forget that. But he was my friend long before all of this happened, and it would be wrong of me to not help him. I started this potion for him, and I should at least make sure he gets some."

Draco's hand on her chin tightened a fraction, eyebrows drawing together. "That's not what you were implying before and you know it. You said you can't abandon _him_. He already gave up on you ages ago, stop holding out for his gratitude. It's not going to happen, and even if it does it's a long time coming."

"But-"

"No buts," he interrupted, his voice strained. He closed his eyes, dropping his head down to rest against her forehead. "Please. Don't do this to yourself again. Weasley won't revert back into the same person immediately, perhaps ever, no matter how effective your potion is. Stop holding out for him. Stop holding _yourself_ back. You can do a million times better."

Hermione closed her eyes, copying him. One hand moved up to rest against his cheek, and he leaned into her touch. "I don't think I would want the old Ron back. He would never own up to what he's done. Maybe a new Ron, one who's suffered and endured what he's put himself through can. I can't just give up on him, I have to believe he can come back out of the dark."

"He might never," Draco muttered. "He might be worse off after this."

"He'll have his family," she whispered, gripping his cheek a little tighter. His hand let go of her chin, sliding down to cup the back of her neck. "And he'll have my potion, but he won't necessarily have me. I want to save him Draco, I don't want him to love me."

He cracked his eyes open, meeting her gaze at the same time. "You don't?"

She shook her head, a little unsure of herself but willing to speak up. Adjusting herself so both arms wrapped around his neck she tilted her chin up to breathe his scent in. "No, I don't. Ron's never treated me the way you do. I've never been special to him. Don't confuse me; I never thought he'd fall back in love with me if I saved him. He'd have to love me first to begin with."

Draco frowned, and she could feel the reaction against her cheek. "But-"

"I think Ron always loved the idea of being with me, of getting the girl from his childhood," she continued, fingers stroking the hairs at the nape of his neck. "But… you've see how we interacted. Ron never looked at me the way you do, I'm not blind. He wanted me, but for the wrong reasons. Maybe he wanted Lavender for the right ones, I don't know. He's not really in a place to be with anyone right now."

"You're definitely right," he replied, and she could hear the smirk in his voice. "But are you?"

Pulling back, she frowned. "What do you mean?"

He reached up, brushing her hair out of her face. "Are you in a place to be with someone?"

Startled she tried to shift back, but felt Draco's hand at her waist, stopping her movement. He wouldn't let up on his gaze, fixing her with a stare she couldn't escape. "I… I don't know. I hadn't put a lot of thought into it with everything else going on."

He smiled a little, chucking. "Yeah, that sounds like you."

She smiled back, tightening her hands around the back of his neck. "Why do you ask?"

Shifting his other arm down to meet the one at her waist, he pulled her a little closer. "Because I want to ask you a question, but I'm checking to see if you're ready."

"Oh?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She knew he had feelings for her, he'd expressed them more than enough times in his actions and the moments when he kissed her. He was hesitant, more so than she expected him to be in his physical advancements towards her, but his feelings weren't all that guarded.

She wasn't totally blind. She could see the secret smiles he shared with her, and the extra care he took to make sure she didn't associate him with Ron. She was smart, she could put two and two together.

But with everything happening, she kind of pushed romance and any idea of a relationship to the side. Draco hadn't, often times doing simple, sweet gestures she wasn't all that used to. But he hadn't asked her out, and there was no way she'd work up the courage to ask him,

Ron messed with her head. Maybe she'd been reading him wrong, and she really wasn't willing to put herself out there right now. But if he was implying a question…

"What do you want to ask me?" she whispered, her voice coming out breathier than she expected. She was anticipating this somewhere inside, waiting for him to find the right moment to ask.

This seemed like as good a time as any.

Draco smiled, a genuine gesture instead of his trademark smirk. Pulling her a little closer he pecked her cheek, trailing a line of kisses over to her lips. He held back just a breath away, unwilling to close the space.

"Hermione, be my girlfriend. Quit holding out for that wanker."

She giggled despite herself, unsurprised by his statement. Leaning forward she closed the gap, sighing contentedly as their lips connected. They held the kiss a moment, Draco's tongue dancing across her lips before he pulled back, grinning.

"And to think I was worried you wouldn't say yes," he chirped, positively giddy. He picked her up, setting her down on the bed beside him. "I'm right, aren't I."

"Yes Draco, of course I'll be your girlfriend," she said sincerely, squeezing his hand. "But did you have to ask in such a… snarky way?"

"How else would I?" he asked, smirking. "I needed to make my point clear."

Hermione rolled her eyes playfully, leaning over to peck him on the lips again. Draco made her feel different than Ron ever did, and there was a lightness in her chest for the first time in weeks. No way would she trade this feeling for holding out on Ron.

The moment was short lived, Draco pulling away from her again with a stern expression. "Hermione, promise you'll stay here with me at the castle and work on the potion. There's no need to go rushing in. We'd be fighting people who are our friends, which will impair our judgment and our attacks. The Ministry's been biting at the bit to get the addicts, they won't waste any time going to check it out. I'm sure Lavender can tell them exactly what buildings they are looking for."

Hermione paused, tilting her head slightly. Yes, it made sense to wait it out and see what happened, but it was hard for her. The Ministry wasn't the most reliable source at the moment. "You really think they can bring everyone back, and catch the Carrows?"

"It is their bloody job. And if they can't, hell will be raised. The Ministry needs to do this or no one's going to trust those wankers. _I_ don't even trust them."

"But you want me to?" she snorted.

"Well, you're different. I don't trust them because of the whole Voldemort thing, and now they are just being petty about this addict situation. When they have a handle on things again hopefully everything will run more smoothly. And though it pains me to admit, you do have to give them some credit. They do usually manage to catch the people they want, especially if they are this hung up about them. There's nothing to worry about, the least they can do is pull this off."

She smiled despite herself. It took Draco a lot of effort to admit that, and it was kind of cute watching him war with himself over the whole thing. Still, his words did work to soothe her a bit, and she felt better hearing someone else confirm her own thoughts.

She still wanted to go and break down that hideout and save her friend, but that wasn't her role to play right now. She needed to desperately finish her potion so the Ministry had no reason to use their awful tactics ever again.

"Fine, I'll trust them to handle it," she sighed, leaning into him for support. "But if they haven't even tried to do something by tomorrow, we are taking action. I know Minerva will have told them what we learned by now, so there's no excuse why they wouldn't move quickly. If they don't do something, we step in."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yes alright, if the silly Ministry doesn't do something we'll play heroes, okay? Now quit worrying so much. You're my girlfriend now, we have much better things do to."

Hermione smiled at that, tilting her head up to look at him. "Oh, like what?"

He grinned, leaning in closer as well to nip her ear. "Hmm, kissing comes to mind."

 **A/n:** Let me know your thoughts. It's slowly coming to a close… you'll see.


	21. Chapter 21

They'd done it. Despite all of Hermione's doubt, they'd actually done it.

The news story was plastered across the papers throughout Britain that following Monday morning. Hermione knew that McGonagall was duty bound to tell the Ministry everything she discovered from Lavender, and Harry took matters into his own hands when he heard the news.

The Carrows never even saw it coming. They were too comfortable with the progress they'd made. They were less planners, more dreamers. Sweeping the building took a few hours tops, and now St. Mungo's was overflowing with drugged-out adults.

But Ron wasn't there. By evening there was no sign of him, and Hermione couldn't shake the bad feeling setting in.

Hermione was told he was either out on a mission or not staying in that grovel, but it didn't really matter either way. He wasn't there, Molly wasn't happy, and Ginny and Harry remained upset and tense.

There were too many missing people to figure out where they all were all at once. Monday night Hermione found herself standing in St. Mungo's with the others to discuss a sweep she wasn't part of, to miss a boy who wasn't there.

Draco was there though, hanging off to the side with Theo. The pair kept watching different people being carried into the emergency ward, and she had a hunch they were looking for people they recognized.

So far, no Ron.

She'd literally worked herself to the bone since yesterday after her kiss with Draco, running every last test and combination that she could. She'd skipped her classes today, so into her work that she hadn't slept the night before. It wasn't until Draco had to go find Harry to make her stop working and eat that she took a breather.

Stopping wasn't an option, she was so close to the answer.

Then the call came in that the hideout was raided, and her train of thought was derailed. Thinking back maybe she should've been less eager to run out and see where things sat, especially when she nearly darted out of the dorm to go to the hospital.

" _A little eager, aren't we?"_

 _Hermione stopped halfway to the door, turning back with a sheepish grin. They just discussed where Ron rested on her list of importance, and it probably seemed pretty rotten of her to try to fly out the door at the drop of a hat. Clasping her hands behind her back, she shot him a shy smile._

" _I at least want to know that he's okay."_

 _Draco tilted his head, not moving from the space in front of his door. "Running off to him right now isn't your best option. You don't even have the potion finished yet. You don't know if he'll be happy to see you or not."_

 _She debated arguing. After all Lavender mentioned Ron's infatuation with her, so he couldn't have completely forgotten their failed relationship. Instead she bit her tongue, knowing she was already placing the blond in a difficult situation._

At least he came with. She might want to see if Ron was okay, but she wasn't ready to face him yet. What would she even say? 'I'm sorry you went on a drug-crazed rampage but we can't get back together and I just wanted to know if you were alive'.

"They said they will call when they find him," the girl said, interrupting her thoughts. Turning, she realized Ginny had come back. She'd gone down the hall to talk with one of the Healer's and her parents, but apparently they had nothing new to report. "They… they don't know how long that will be."

"I'm sure they'll find him," Hermione replied, forcing a smile. Within so much chaos, she looked pretty out of place like that, standing in a hospital fighting overdosing and death. "And I'll have my cure when he gets here."

Ginny gave her a skeptical look, glancing around. "Hermione, don't kill yourself over that cure. Harry told me a lot of what's going on… you can't work yourself to the bone. This is a medical conundrum that has stumped wizards for centuries. You've been working for a couple months. It'd be nothing short of a miracle if you found the solution."

"Well, I'm not known as a brilliant witch for nothing. Have faith, I'll help all of these people when I succeed."

Looking skeptical, the redhead looked back over her shoulder again to check something. In the distance Hermione could make out Harry talking with the Weasley's, who kept glancing her way. Well, at least she was avoiding that.

"I'm being serious," Ginny said quietly, glaring towards her friend. "Close or not, the easiest answers elude us moments before success. You're emotionally connected to this problem like the rest of us. Beating yourself up won't change anything."

"I'm not-"

"I asked Malfoy," she continued, straightening a little. "You can't do this to yourself. What would your parents say right now?"

She couldn't help herself. Her hand flew up before she knew it, the slap echoing in the hallway. Her only saving grace was all the chaos around them that seemed to dull the tension of the moment.

Unfortunately, Harry and Ginny's parents did not fail to notice. Just before the ginger went off, she caught a glimpse of the duo's irate expressions.

"I didn't say it to be rude!" Ginny hissed, crossing her arms. She didn't reach towards her cheek, didn't acknowledge the sting there. "I'm not an idiot is all. I know you've been looking for them. We told you over the summer to stop beating yourself up over not locating them in Australia yet. They are good people Hermione, but you cannot please everyone. Trying to help everyone at once will be your downfall, I guarantee it."

"That's not true," she seethed, momentarily losing her cool. "I'm not trying to please everyone! I'm just trying to help those that I promised. I told Ron I would help him come back from this way back in May, and I meant it."

"Hermione-"

"And I promised my parents I would find them again," she continued, feeling the tears slip out. "I'm not about to let anyone down! You'll see Ginny, I promise you. I'll save Ron from himself, and I'll see my parents again."

Ginny didn't say anything to that, her eyes shifting from the brunette to somewhere past her. She didn't bother looking at what she was, feeling Draco's arm slip around her a moment later. No one else would've come up behind her like that, even Ron.

He would be in no condition to anyway.

Draco kissed the side of her head, and if anyone thought it was weird they didn't comment. Her boyfriend said something to Ginny that she didn't catch, her mind drifting away.

Her parents… nobody had broached that topic in months save for Draco, and he did it on accident. It was a touchy subject, one more everyone was smart enough to avoid. Her attentions were diverted the moment Ron picked up this nasty addiction, and she didn't see that changing for some time still. She had to force herself to complete one task before taking on another. It was the only way she'd ever complete anything.

She'd left too many things unfinished, and now they were catching up to her. If she could just complete the potion, the cure… she'd save Ron like she said. He wouldn't be a prisoner to his own addiction, and he might actually be able to heal given proper medicine and time.

If Ron could come out of this funk, maybe his parents could too, and Molly wouldn't cry so much.

And if she could accomplish that, she wouldn't feel so guilty taking time for herself to look for her parents she hadn't seen in over a year. She didn't know where that quest would lead her, or where or when she'd have to go to Australia. It was an adventure she wasn't mentally or physically prepared to have.

Her body turned, and she realized she was being led away. It was probably for the best, she didn't have anything to give the suffering addicts, and Ron was nowhere to be found. She was just taking up space there with Draco, not looking for anyone in particular unless they found her ex.

Hermione took a breath, trying to quiet her rushing mind. She needed to focus, and overthinking wouldn't help her do that.

* * *

He didn't necessarily mind how empty the school was with half the occupants either laid up at St. Mungo's or there visiting friends, but he did mind how dreary it made the remaining students.

Seriously, it was like the war just ended yesterday. The Carrows got arrested, but everyone affected and controlled by their drug still had to be accounted for and somehow rehabilitated. It stirred up a lot of unpleasant old memories.

Thankfully, he had enough to focus on presently that he couldn't even focus on his friends affected by the drug. At least any of his immediate friends weren't among the idiots who ran off to keep getting high. He recalled Pansy mentioning Millicent being found at the hideout, but that didn't really affect him. He wasn't close to the girl anyways.

He was close to Pansy, and Theo, and Astoria, all of who had a problem. They were his main concern, right after making sure Hermione didn't drive herself crazy reading books and trying potion combinations.

She was so close, and still nothing they investigated led them to the overall cure. Until they found it, Draco had come to realize she wouldn't let it go.

Maybe that was a good thing, at least for everyone else.

It wasn't so great for him, especially when she finally snapped and the local bookworm extraordinaire threw an extra-heavy book past his head into the wall.

Draco blinked, looking over his shoulder from his place on the couch to the desk behind him, where Hermione was fuming about something. The book I question landed with a heavy thud, the distinct sound of the binding snapping echoing in the room as she screamed.

He flinched. A frustrated Hermione was indeed a scary one.

"I don't understand," she groaned, looking towards the ceiling. "I've mixed everything I can think of together. The antidote I gave Pansy provided temporary relief, but it isn't enough. What am I supposed to add to make it long-lasting? Everything I combine eventually dissolves each other and cancels out the affects. But I have to have certain ingredients in there to counteract the addictive nature of Willow's Weep!"

Draco held up a very thick stack of parchment. "It's not like you haven't been trying," he reminded. "You've made more lists than I have in my life to keep track of all the failed combinations. You'll get there, and I could always try helping again."

"But the last three combinations you tried exploded."

"Hey, I'm great at potions. But this is more than just your everyday recipe. There are a lot of factors to consider, a lot that you've memorized and I haven't."

She shrugged. "Yeah, well, it doesn't change anything. It's been two days since they busted the Carrows, and still nothing. Those people are still living with the problem and suffering. Even Pansy and Theo said they are having issues, and they aren't as strong of addicts!"

"You can't rush these things," he reminded, setting aside what he'd been doing. "You told me that a week ago."

"Well, I thought the solution would come to me faster than this."

"It'll come."

She scoffed, throwing back her chair as she stood to retrieve the book. "Yeah, sure. Like they will find Ron, right? Or the thirty some-odd people who are still missing and probably lying half dead around Britain."

Draco scowled, grabbing her waist as she passed. Hermione paused, looking down at him. "Weasley is a stubborn fuck Hermione, quit worrying about him. He's not going to let himself die, that's about the only thing I' certain of with him."

"You're right, he's probably dead anyway."

He groaned, grabbing the other side of her hips to drag her down on his lap, despite her protects. "You're just saying that because you're frustrated, cut it out."

"No, I'm saying it because Ron makes poor enough decisions to actually end up that way."

Draco rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Maybe, but I doubt he's dead. He's probably too high and delirious to get up, but it's doubtful he's dead. We wouldn't get that lucky."

She huffed, gently smacking his chest. "You shouldn't say things like that," she whispered, resting her forehead against his. He wasn't sure if it was due to the added amount of stress or simply her need for affection but Hermione was a lot more accepting of his touch recently, especially since their kiss.

Besides, he had to constantly remind her he was that much better than the Weasel. He didn't want anything to confuse her when dumbass number one was finally found and they got to see each other again. He'd spiraled way too far out of control to deserve a second chance, and given their history Draco still had a small inkling of fear that she'd actually give him one.

"I guess," he muttered, tilting his chin up, "We'd be getting off too easy that way."

He caught her lips in a kiss, resisting the urge to smirk when she willingly accepted him. She wasn't overly anxious to move kissing along, and given her divided mind he didn't exactly blame her. Once they stopped being romantic and loving and real life set in again, she would slip back into her constant whirlwind of ideas, looking for a solution. He wanted to keep her out of that void a while longer here in his lap, making sure she remembered all the other parts of her life that were just as important (or more so) than her research.

She deepened the kiss, leaning further into him as her arms wrapped around his neck. He reveled in the feel of her looking for more from him whenever he got the opportunity, the occasion rare indeed.

He let his tongue slip into her mouth, one had rubbing against the small of her back before slipping beneath the shirt, enjoying the feel of her soft ski against calloused fingers. He sank into the couch, content with letting her get lost in his kisses.

For a moment, they pretended nothing important was going on around them and let themselves believe that their relationship wasn't the complex whirlwind of chaos it really was.

 **A/n: Here comes a long one.**

 **The point of this chapter was to get something out there to motivate me to continue this story. I have a hard time reading the chapters and continuing to write updates when I've grown to hate the plot development of Breaking Skin. This story drastically detoured from what my original concept was, and maybe that's why I have such a hard time finding the desire to finish it.**

 **I don't know what will happen from here. I don't know how and if the next chapter will go. I'm just very annoyed with the plot decisions I made may chapters back, and the lack of enthusiasm I have in taking this story to completion isn't helping. I'm trying not to abandon stories that are a long time coming but… this one is really difficult for me.**

 **I thank everyone who has read this story thus far and I'm sorry I don't know what will happen from here. I'd like to say that I will force this story through to completion, but at this time I just don't know. It has nothing to do with you wonderful readers, and more with this personal vendetta I have with myself over the plotline of this story. So I hope to see you all for additional chapters and some thrilling conclusion to this story, but I just don't know anymore. It's a disappointment to myself that I've grown to feel so distant from my writing.**

 **Again, thank you to everyone, and we will see what happens from here.**


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